A thief gave up stealing and became a construction worker under his guidance. He received 35 cash awards from the Deputy Commissioner of Police for his service. The list of accomplishments does not end here for Rajiv B R, a constable who has been working in the JP Nagar police station for the past nine years.

“He is extremely committed to his job and tireless in his duty,” said Shivalingaiah, head constable, who has known Rajiv for the last four years. “He is hardworking and sometimes covers for others’ pending work too.”

However, joining the Bangalore City police was not a planned decision for 44 year-old Rajiv.  Born in Gokarna, North Karnataka to a middle class government officer, Rajiv dreamt of a bank job. But after completing his B.Com, his application to the Employment Exchange got him a job with the Bangalore City Police in 1993.

But after spending 16 years in the police force, Rajiv feels that the experience has been worthwhile.

Constable Rajiv B R (pic: Priyanjali Ghose)

“It is a challenging job as we have to work against all odds,” said Rajiv. “An army knows who the enemy is but for the police, the enemy is (part of) society but you don’t know who it is.”

Rajiv, a bachelor who works from 9 AM to 9 PM on all seven days of the week feels that serving the city police force is really “thrilling” and “rewarding.”

“Every case is a different story,” he said. “It always feels good if you can put at least one criminal on the right road as it is good for the society.”

He added that though the profession involves witnessing “ugly sides”, it helps him to fulfill his responsibility to the society.

“When we catch the culprit, the victim is satisfied,” said Rajiv.

However, he added that over the years, the crime scenario in the city is no longer the same. In recent cases young people from “good families” were involved in various illegal activities.

“Previously car thief only used to steal cars but now the same person is stealing other things so it is very difficult to spot,” says Rajiv. He adds that because of this it also becomes difficult to find clues from a crime scene and so other than the set methods of interrogation, the police should be trained with special skills to identify the culprits.

In fact Rajiv says that the crime scene in JP Nagar, which is home to mostly upper middle class people and celebrities like Girish Karnad, Javagal Srinath and others has changed over the years.

“Nearly 140 vehicles have been stolen from this area from 2008 to 2009”, he says . He adds that with passing years vehicle theft is becoming a growing concern for JP Nagar though the local police is making an effort to control such thefts.

He admits that though powerful, their reach is limited. “Many times politicians interfere. They force us to do things according to (their whims),” sighs Rajiv. “Police should be given more freedom.”

Nicknamed by Sub-Inspector Lakshmanaiah as the “account specialist” in JP Nagar police station, Rajiv is popular for his comfort with numbers and his show of respect and equality to all.

“Apart from being honest and hardworking, Rajiv has a very pleasant personality,” says Lakshmanaiah, who has known Rajiv for the last six years.

Rajiv, an Amitabh Bachchan fan, is also a movie buff. He likes watching reality-based movies. But Bachchan movies like Sholay and Deewar are his all-time favourites. However, for someone like him who spends all the days of the years in the police station, he says touring India will always be his most cherished dream.

He does not mind the long hours as he has no regrets about joining the force.
“In the next birth also I would want to be a policeman,” ends Rajiv. “But in a higher post!”.⊕