In contemporary months, movies like Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s twelfth Fail and The Viral Fever (TVF) internet sequence Aspirants have captured the creativeness of one million Indians. On the center in their attraction lies a story of battle, redemption, and status that comes from passing one of the most hardest aggressive examinations on the earth—the UPSC (Union Public Provider Fee) Civil Services and products Exam (CSE)—and the existence this landmark fulfillment follows. (Above symbol of Dr Ram Gopal Naik, a 2002-batch IPS officer)
Thus, it comes as no wonder that plans are afoot another time within the Hindi movie business to make a film in keeping with the existence and profession of Dr Ram Gopal Naik, a 2002-batch officer of the Indian Police Provider (IPS). Portraying the doctor-turned-police officer’s eventful existence is Imran Zahid, an actor who lately performed the function of a tender guy from a small the town in Bihar who desires of turning into an IAS (Indian Administrative Provider) officer within the 2023 movie Ab Dilli Dur Nahin.
Additionally starring veteran filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, this film was once impressed through the real-life tale of Govind Jaiswal, a rickshaw puller’s son who changed into an IAS officer in 2007.
Talking to The Higher India, Dr Naik, who’s recently the DCP (deputy commissioner of police), Metro Police, within the nationwide capital, says, “The inside track got here as a big wonder. It was once an emotional second for my spouse and youngsters. They have been so excited. In response to real-life incidents, a film about my existence will encourage my group of workers additional. In the end, it’s a genuine type of popularity for our paintings. As an officer, I will be able to be a job fashion for them.”
In the meantime, talking about enjoying a real-life persona, Imran says, “Each time you painting a residing individual in a efficiency, it turns into an authoritative portrayal in their reviews: their motivations, the demanding situations they faced, and the way they overcame their struggles.”
Opting for IPS over drugs
Born in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh (AP), Dr Naik grew up in an upper-middle-class circle of relatives the place his father served as an officer within the customs and central excise division, whilst his mom was once a homemaker. Like hundreds of children in AP, his preliminary objective was once to turn into a health care provider.
It was once all through his 3rd 12 months of clinical college finding out MBBS that he made up our minds to arrange for the central civil products and services examination. On the other hand, what impressed this determination was once a private tragedy.
Whilst finding out on the Andhra Scientific School within the early Nineties, his brother-in-law was once murdered following a industry competition. A stunning construction, it left his circle of relatives coping with a disaster. However, amid this disaster, he noticed one thing that would depart an indelible affect.
“There have been many influential other folks with infamous legal backgrounds concerned on this homicide case. Thankfully, we had an excellent police officer who slightly investigated the case. On this case, I noticed the most efficient of what a police officer can do and the have an effect on they are able to have on our society. As an officer of the regulation, he was once in a position to lend a hand our circle of relatives, organize different execs engaged on this investigation, and nab the culprits as neatly. As a substitute of turning into a health care provider, I felt I may well be extra helpful to society as a police officer,” recollects Dr Naik.
Whilst Dr Naik struggles to recall the identify of the officer who solved his brother-in-law’s homicide greater than 30 years after it came about, he can not overlook the affect the episode left at the back of. After all, with different members of the family out and in of the provider motivating him to make that transition to a profession within the IPS, this reminiscence remained seared in his awareness.
After finishing his MBBS in 1996, he served as a health care provider for 3 years till 1999 when he made up our minds that he wanted a whole shift clear of a profession in drugs.
“From my 3rd 12 months onwards, I started getting ready for the UPSC examination. I used to be concurrently finding out for my MBBS and getting ready for the Union Civil Services and products examination. Following my MBBS, I labored at a non-public sanatorium in Visakhapatnam for a twinkling of an eye prior to leaving for Hyderabad to enroll in UPSC training categories. To strengthen myself financially, then again, I even labored on the Apollo Health center in Jubilee Hills as an emergency doctor,” he recollects.
“My determination to surrender drugs and get ready [full-time] for the UPSC examination was once met through vehement opposition within the circle of relatives. They sought after me to proceed as a health care provider and earn neatly,” he provides.
In his first try, Dr Naik reached the interview degree however ignored out. However serving to him alongside the way in which have been a couple of pals he had recognized since number one college. They have been additionally getting ready for it.
“They supported me so much. They might no longer get thru however they have been satisfied that I did,” he says.
Their religion in Dr Naik would sooner or later repay as he cleared the interview degree in his subsequent try. He joined the IPS in 2002 as a part of the DANIPS (Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Dadra, and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu Police Provider) cadre.
Since changing into an IPS officer, Dr Naik has long gone on to reach a really perfect deal. From receiving a different commendation from the Andhra Pradesh govt for setting up aid operations after Cyclone HUD HUD in 2014 to investigating and extraditing Sanjeev Chawla, the bookmaker famously concerned with the deceased cricket participant Hansie Cronje, in solving suits between India and South Africa in 2000, Dr Naik has many achievements to his identify.
Different notable achievements come with starting up the modernisation strategy of the Lakshadweep Police all through his first respectable posting and investigating and fixing the 2008 bomb blasts within the M-Block Marketplace of Larger Kailash, New Delhi. In 2018, he additionally solved the paper leak case of the CBSE Magnificence 12 economics and Magnificence 10 arithmetic examinations.
In 2021, he gained the President’s Police Medal for Gallantry in January 2021 for accomplishing a bold rescue operation of a abducted 5-year-old boy in Sahibabad, Uttar Pradesh (UP). Throughout his profession, he has investigated a plethora of instances however this one stands proud.
Ram Gopal Naik, DCP Crime Department: Delhi Police Crime Department with lend a hand of Ministry of Exterior Affairs and House Affairs was once seeking to get him (Sanjeev Chawla).In 2013, extradition procedure began. Now we have were given 12-days custody.Now we have no longer but wondered him,procedure will get started now. percent.twitter.com/I4yOF3swVS— ANI (@ANI) February 13, 2020
Rescuing a kid
On 25 January 2018, as arrangements for that 12 months’s Republic Day celebrations have been in complete power, a five-year-old son of a outstanding businessman in Northeast Delhi was once abducted.
In step with a document through The Indian Categorical, “Prior to the abduction, the accused carried out a recce of the realm for over a month and made up our minds to focus on the college bus. They made 3 failed makes an attempt on January 21, 22 and 23.” Talking to the media, the then JCP (Crime Department) Alok Kumar known the accused as Nitin Sharma, Ravi Kumar, and Pankaj alias Singh Saheb.
He additionally mentioned the 3 suspects had hatched a plan to kidnap the kid after “Sunny Gupta, father of the kid, lately finalised a genuine property deal of Rs 60 lakh. The main points of the deal have been commonplace wisdom of everybody who stayed in Gupta’s locality GTB Enclave. Nitin concept he may just earn a excellent ransom if he abducted Gupta’s son.”
At the morning of 25 January, when the college van was once coming near the college, the abductors intercepted it and snatched the boy for ransom. The abductors shot the motive force within the leg and took the boy to a two-bedroom flat in Sahibabad’s Shalimar Town flats.
“On the time, I used to be operating as DCP of Delhi Police Crime Department. First of all, the case was once taken up through the native police. For per week, the native police may just no longer get any leads. For the reason that the incident came about an afternoon prior to Republic Day, there was once a large number of drive at the Delhi Police Commissioner to unravel this situation and rescue the boy. My commissioner took a choice that the case will have to be transferred to the Crime Department and I used to be decided on to maintain this delicate investigation for the reason that a boy’s existence was once at stake,” he says.
As soon as Dr Naik’s crew took over the case, they deployed their assets at the floor and taken on officials with “excellent wisdom of legal networks in Northeast Delhi”.
“One among our officials sooner or later were given a lead that 3 individuals have been lacking within the space the place the boy was once picked up and that they is also concerned within the case. We additionally went thru their legal information and posited that they may well be concerned. In the meantime, we additionally stored involved with the daddy of the boy who was once receiving requires a ransom. But even so those calls, he was once additionally receiving movies [on WhatsApp] of the abductors claiming that they’ve his son and voice recordings too the place he may just listen his son pleading to mention, ‘Papa, I like you’,” he says.
But even so coping with kidnappers, in addition they needed to maintain a terrified father.
“He most probably felt that cooperating with the police would put his son’s existence in peril. Thus, he wasn’t being very cooperative. The abductors had demanded Rs 60 lakh as ransom and we requested him to barter to shop for a while and hint those calls. However we imagine he was once actively hiding issues from us. We found out that he was once even arranging the cash to repay the abductors in order that his kid may just come again house,” he says.
So, Dr Naik recollects that his crew “engaged in some moral hacking” of the daddy’s telephone in order that they might have first-hand details about what was once being mentioned. In the meantime, the abductors set a date and site for the alternate. After this dialog, Dr Naik took the daddy into self assurance and confident him that they might rescue his kid.
Talking to The Statesman on the time, Dr Naik mentioned, “As ransom calls have been additionally produced from within reach spaces we decided on a couple of spaces and stored a detailed watch on a couple of suspects there. In the meantime, thru native assets and technical surveillance, police known Nitin as a major suspect. Police stored observe of his actions and deployed assets to stay a better watch on him.”
“Once we shared Nitin’s footage with the sufferer’s father, he known him as a widespread customer of the realm,” Naik famous. After an intensive investigation, he was once known as one of the most kidnappers.
After taking the daddy into self assurance, Dr Naik realized that Nitin was once attending a marriage in Northeast Delhi. According to this information, Dr Naik and his crew attended this marriage ceremony pretending to be visitors. On the marriage ceremony venue, one of the most officials known the principle suspect.
First of all, they considered nabbing him there however made up our minds by contrast transfer as a result of the commotion it will create. As a substitute, they trailed his automobile out of the venue.
In his dialog with The Statesman, Dr Naik mentioned, “Police began following Nitin from 8 pm [on 5 February 2018] until 12.30 nighttime [when he was intercepted]. He was once using his Swift at speeds just about 90 km/hr to 100km/hr. Police adopted him on 4 motorcycles and 4 vehicles.”
After the principle suspect dropped his female friend at her place of dwelling, the police persisted trailing him.
Once more, Dr Naik added, “Round 12.30 am, Nitin was once intercepted close to a group block in Seemapuri [near the Delhi-UP border]. Prior to his car stopped, he hit our car and he was once inebriated. He was once additionally sporting 3 cellphones. On interrogation, he advised police that two of his pals had stored the kid in a flat in Shalimar Town in Sahibabad.”
Once you have the principle suspect to admit the place they have been retaining the boy, there have been discussions amongst senior officials who have been knowledgeable of the interception that they will have to wait to collect extra power (team of workers). Dr Naik disagreed and mentioned that there was once no time they usually had to transfer speedy with the suspect of their custody.
“Additionally, his telephones are with us and if he’s unreachable, his accomplices might get alerted, depart the condominium, and most likely hurt the boy as neatly. Fortunately, my most sensible boss on the Delhi Crime Department relied on my instincts,” he says.
In slightly 1.5 hours, Dr Naik’s crew reached the condominium complicated, did a whole recce of it, lined the entire exits, were given into the flat amidst a firefight, and rescued the boy. To know the structure of the two-bedroom condominium, Dr Naik and two different officials visited every other condominium in the similar complicated and requested the circle of relatives living within if they might have a look.
“When we understood the structure of this condominium, we took positions out of doors the fifth-floor flat the place the kid was once being stored. In the meantime, we additionally had a crew ready under with blankets and nets able in case the abductors attempted to throw the boy off the balcony. At this a very powerful juncture, we made up our minds to ship the suspect to ring the bell,” he recollects.
The primary suspect Nitin proceeded to ring the bell, however the second his partner opened the door he sensed that one thing was once unsuitable and attempted to close it in an instant.
“As he was once about to close the door, I advised one in all my officials that we needed to wreck those doorways down. Thankfully, there was once somewhat hole on most sensible of the iron grill door. One among my officials was once in a position to bend the iron grill a part of the door down and that left sufficient room for me to go into. Following this, the abductors within started firing at us,” he recollects. As according to information reviews, a bullet hit Inspector Vinay Tyagi’s vest, whilst every other hit commando Kuldip Singh.
Amidst this chaos, Dr Naik climbed over the bent iron grill and took a peek on the hole left at the back of through a 2d picket door within to peer if the kid was once within the principle corridor of the flat.
“I discovered that the boy wasn’t there. That’s after I ordered the team of workers at the back of me to fireside again. There was once an alternate of fireside. Some of the kidnappers was once shot down at the floor mendacity in a pool of blood whilst the opposite was once shot within the leg. My crew in an instant adopted me within whilst I went directly to the bed room to search out the kid beneath a blanket,” he recollects.
Suffice it to mention, the kid was once terrified following the alternate of fireside out of doors. “I slowly took down the blanket and advised him, ‘Beta, mein police uncle hoon. Mein tumhare papa ke paas le jaane ke liye aaya hoon.’ After listening to the ones phrases, he in an instant jumped away from bed and hugged me. I carried him out of the flat masking his eyes. As we have been using to GTB Health center, I known as up his father and advised him that we had rescued his kid safely. This was once round 2 am within the wee hours [of 6 February 2018]. The daddy was once asleep after we known as him,” he recollects.
In the meantime, a few of the different two suspects throughout the flat, one was once killed whilst the opposite was once injured. The police team of workers injured through gunshots have been stored through their bulletproof vests.
“All folks made our approach to GTB Health center. After the physician on responsibility showed that the kid had no longer suffered any severe accidents or abuse, the fogeys took him into their palms. It was once an emotional second seeing those tearful oldsters reuniting with their son. I additionally shed a tear. 4 officials, together with me, gained the President’s Police Medal for Gallantry,” he recollects.
Whilst the lifetime of a police officer has its percentage of controversy and disappointments, it’s moments like those that make the adventure value it. Seeing that tearful reunion between the fogeys and their son, “and the truth that you made it imaginable”, is what makes this trail value it.
(Edited through Padmashree Pande; Photographs courtesy Dr Ram Gopal Naik and Instagram/Imran Zahid)