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Sanjay Pinto is a Lawyer and Author in Chennai)
A potbelly was once considered an unofficial part of a cop's uniform in India. But down South, meet a new breed of men in khaki who can give the fittest Bollywood stars a run for their money .
At the Chennai Marathon on Sunday, at least three senior IPS Officers from Tamil Nadu hit the ground running. Mahesh Aggarwal, Inspector General Of Police, CB CID, Tamil Nadu completed 21 kilometres in 3 hours. When this 1994 batch officer was the Deputy Commissioner Of Police (Traffic) in 2003, he was incharge of traffic arrangements for the event and wondered if he would be able to run a marathon. Eleven years on, after a stint with the CBI on deputation, Aggarwal returned to the Tamil Nadu cadre and was posted to the sensitive CB CID branch where he has investigated several sensational cases.
"I have been practising regularly. Although I recently suffered from malaria and viral fever, I was determined to run." Aggarwal's wife, Dr.Vaneeta, a faculty member at the Madras University, gave her husband company at the marathon and completed 10 kilometres, as their daughters Gunisha and Arshita cheered them on.
Sylendra Babu, Additional Director General Of Police, Coastal Security Group, Tamil Nadu, also participates in marathons regularly. 52-year-old Babu looks considerably younger and has been fighting fit throughout his career. I vividly remember him recalling how he once chased a criminal for over 20 kilometres during his Superintendent Of Police years.
Dr.Jayanth Murali, Inspector General Of Police on deputation with the CISF, is another regular runner. Murali usually runs along with his daughter at almost all the marathons in the city. Murali's 1991 IPS batchmates will tell you stories of how he used to run 20 kilometres everyday with his constables in tow during his early career!
It's not just running. A senior IPS team from Tamil Nadu comprising Additional Director General Of Police (Operations) Sanjay Arora, Inspectors General Shankar Jiwal, M.Ravi and Vinit Wankhede have been consistently winning the All India Badminton tournament for IPS Officers. M.Ravi has recently authored an exhaustive book on Fitness that will be released shortly. And Shankar Jiwal who is the Inspector General Of Police - Special Task Force based in the Sathyamangalam Forest, earlier Veerappan land, is also into trekking.
Retna Sudhakar, Deputy Commissioner Of Police in the city, has been winning laurels in Rifle Shooting. That may be passe for a police officer. But his Facebook page is plastered with pictures of his dare devilry. Sudhakar is also into bungee jumping and rafting. At Rotorua, New Zealand, the young IPS officer took the plunge at one of the highest falls where rafting is allowed.
Rajesh Das, Additional Director General Of Police - Social Justice, makes it a point to do justice to his fitness regime with his cycle on the Marina Beach as often as possible. And former Chennai Police Commissioner and DGP R.Nataraj rarely misses his Golf sessions. Small wonder that some of the latest Tamil Films are, wittingly or unwittingly, adaptations of the lives of some of these top cops.
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