History




In 1861, the Delhi Police came into being when the Indian Police Act was adopted. It remained a part of the Punjab Police till 1947, till the country became independent. In 1966, the Delhi police department was segregated into four different divisions under the command of the DIG (Director General of Police) and chaired by the Police Commissioner of New Delhi.

The Police Training College was and is still located in the village of Jharoda Kalan. Since 1984 this place has given India some of the most dedicated and most skilled fighters who uphold the judicial system of the country.

Historical Significance

The story of the Delhi Police started with Malikul Umara Faqruddin when he became the first Kotwal of Delhi in the 1237 A.D. He was also honored with the title of Naibe-Ghibat (Regent in Absence). Malikul Umara Faqruddin served through the reigns of three Sultans. He held his office in Qila Rai Pithora, which is the current district of Mehrauli.
History also applauds Kotwal Malik Alaul Mulk who was appointed by Sultan Allauddin Khilji in 1297 A.D. The chubby man as he was, Allaudin mused him but held great respect for him saying that he deserved to be the Prime Minister (Wizarat) in his reign.

Mughal Emperor Shahjahan employed Ghaznafar Khan as the first Kotwal of his new capital Delhi, when he shifted base from Agra. Ghaznafar Khan also upheld his duty as the Mir-i-Atish or the Chief of Artillery.
The last Kotwal of Delhi before the revolt of freedom began in India was Gangadhar Nehru. He was the father of Pandit Motilal Nehru and the grandfather of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

The Growth of the Police Department

The British were the ones who started organizing the department after the revolt of 1857. They adopted the Indian Police Act in the year 1861. In 1912 they appointed the Chief Commissioner of Delhi and entrusted him with the powers and functions of the Inspector General of Police.

Back in 1912, the DIG had his headquarters in Ambala. In Delhi, the Superintendent and the Deputy Superintendent of Police were in command. It had merely around 1200 employees at that time with two inspectors having authoritative command over the others. These two inspectors had 10 police stations under them, and sat in Ballabhgarh and Sonepat respectively. The city of Delhi had three police stations one each at Kotwali, Sabzi Mandi and in Paharganj.

After independence, the department was reorganized again and it was made all the more efficient. With the size almost doubled, the Delhi Police was made capable of handling the crime rate that was increasing in the capital due to the huge refugee incoming during the time of partition. From around 1200, the Delhi Police grew to around 8000 member strength by 1951.

Now there was one IGP (Inspector General of Police) who was the commanding officer for eight SPs or Superintendents of Police. Delhi saw a growth in population like no other city in India. People kept on migrating from different parts of the country in search of newer and better opportunities in the capital. To maintain a balance, and to uphold the law and order, the Police Department grew very rapidly too.

Within no time it had almost 12,000 members. And now, the Delhi Police boasts of having close to 90,000 officers who strive very hard to keep the city at peace.

Modern Day Structure of the Delhi Police

In 1966, the department was again reorganized as per the Khosla Commission Report. Now there were four sectors North, South, Central and New Delhi which were reconstituted as Police Districts. The post of the Police Commissioner was also brought to play on July 1st, 1978.

Then, came the Shrivastava Committee that made the strength of the Delhi Police even stronger. Currently, Delhi has 3 ranges, 11 districts and 180 police stations. A force so big is well equipped to handle any chaos and they choose to stick to their mission of maintaining the law and order in the capital of the biggest democracy in the world.

OUR PLANING

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