Ranjit Kumar Gupta

For other persons with similar name, see Ranjit Gupta.
Ranjit Kumar Gupta
Awards Shaurya Chakra

Police career

Department West Bengal Police
Years of service 1943-1976
Rank Director General of Police

Ranjit Kumar Gupta (often referred to as Ranjit Gupta) was Police Commissioner of Kolkata in the seventies and played a controversial role in tackling the Naxalite movement. He retired as the police chief of West Bengal.

Career

Gupta joined the Indian Police in 1943. Between 1943 and 1964 he served in various capacities including SDPO in Rajshahi District (pre-independence Bengal), Commandant of an Armed Police Battalion and an Eastern Frontier Rifles Battalion, DCP (North) of Kolkata Police, SP of Midnapore District, DIG of Burdwan Range, Joint CP (Crime) of Kolkata Police, and DIG in the CID. He was the DIG (Border Police) during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. He played a controversial role in tackling the Naxalite movement. He was hated by not only the ultra-left radicals and human rights activists for his ruthless line of action, but also by mainstream politicians. However, his juniors held him in high regard, particularly for his integrity and strong character.[1][2]

During the troubled Naxalite movement days, as Commissioner of Police, he worked directly under Govind Narain, who was the Union Home Secretary. He is particularly credited for the conduct of the elections in 1971. Quite often in the thick of controversy he had trouble with the political establishment in April 1971 and proceeded on leave. He returned in 1972 as DG of West Bengal (then police chief) and continued till July 1976. Thereafter, he retired prematurely.[2]

Endowed with impeccable manners, he was a scholar and anthropologist.

Prasun Mukherjee, a senior police officer who served under him, in an obituary tribute said, “In the departure of Mr Ranjit Gupta, we have lost a person who had become a legend during his career, who was a born leader of a force, was confident of himself, trusted his juniors and identified himself with them so much that he called himself a Policeman and not a Police Officer.”[3]

He died on 19 May 2012 at the age of 93.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 "Officer dead". Calcutta, India: The Telegraph, 20 May 2012. 20 May 2012. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
  2. 1 2 "Former top cop passes away, juniors remember an' outstanding officer'". The Times of India, Kolkata, 20 May 2012. 20 May 2012. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
  3. ↑ Mukherjee, Prasun (21 May 2012). "Born leader of police force". Calcutta, India: The Telegraph, 21 May 2012. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
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