The Kotwals
Delhi has a long history of policing through the famed institution of the Kotwal. Malikul
Umara
Faqruddin is said to be the first Kotwal of Delhi. He became the Kotwal at the age of 40 in
1237
A.D. and was also simultaneously appointed as the Naibe-Ghibat (Regent in absence). Because
of
his integrity and sagacity, he had a very long tenure, holding the post through the reigns
of
three Sultans Balban, Kaikobad and Kaikhusrau. On one occasion when some Turkish nobles had
approached him to secure the withdrawal of Balban's order, confiscating their estates, the
Kotwal is recorded to have said, "My words will carry no weight if I accept any bribe from
you.
It is presumed that the Kotwal, or Police Headquarters was then located at Qila Rai Pithora
or
today's Mehrauli.
Another Kotwal mentioned in history books is Malik Alaul Mulk, who was appointed by Sultan
Allauddin Khilji in 1297 AD. Sultan Alauddin Khilji once said of him, "He deserves the
Wizarat
(Prime Ministership) but I have appointed him only the Kotwal of Delhi on account of' his
incapacitating corpulence."
When Emperor Shahjahan shifted his capital from Agra to Delhi, in 1648, he appointed
Ghaznafar
Khan as the first Kotwal of the new city, bestowing on him also the very important office of
Mir-i-Atish (Chief of Artillery).
The institution of Kotwal came to an end with the crushing of the revolt of 1857, the first
war
of freedom by the British and, interestingly, the last Kotwal of Delhi, appointed just
before
the eruption of the first war of freedom, was Gangadhar Nehru, father of Pandit Motilal
Nehru
and grand-father of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister
An Organised Set-up
An organised form of policing was established by the British after the first war of freedom
of
1857, with the adoption of the Indian Police Act of 1861. Delhi being a part of the Punjab,
remained a unit of the Punjab Police even after becoming the Capital of India in 1912. In
the
same year, the first Chief Commissioner of Delhi was appointed and was vested with the
powers
and functions of the Inspector General of Police.
According to the 1912 Gazette, Delhi District was under the control of a DIG of Police with
his
headquarters at Ambala. The police force in the Delhi district, however, was commanded by a
Superintendent and a Deputy Superintendent of Police. The total composition of the force
then
was two Inspectors, 27 Sub-Inspectors, 110 Head Constables, 985 Foot Constables and 28
Sawars.
In the city the rural police were in the charge of two Inspectors with their headquarters at
Sonepat and Ballabhgarh respectively with 10 police stations.
In addition, there were 7 outposts and four 'road posts'.
In the city, there were three large police stations: Kotwali, Subzi Mandi, and Paharganj. In
the
Civil Lines, there were spacious police barracks where the Reserve, Armed Reserve and
recruits
were accommodated.
Post-Independence
Delhi Police was reorganised in 1946 when its strength was almost doubled. In the wake of
partition, a large influx of refugee population rolled in and there was a sharp rise in
crime in
1948. It was on February 16, 1948 that the first IGP of Delhi was appointed and the total
strength of Delhi Police was increased by 1951 to about 8,000 with one Inspector General of
Police and eight Superintendents of Police. A post of Deputy Inspector General of Police was
created in 1956. With the rise in the population of Delhi, the strength of Delhi Police kept
on
increasing and in the year 1961, it was over 12,000. Presently, the sanctioned strength of
Delhi
Police is 83,762.
In the year 1966, the Government of India constituted the Delhi Police Commission headed by
Justice G. D. Khosla to go into the problems faced by Delhi Police and it was on the basis
of
the Khosla Commission Report that the Delhi Police was once again reorganised. Four Police
districts, namely, North, Central, South and New Delhi were constituted. The Delhi Police
Commission also recommended the introduction of Police Commissioner System which was
eventually
adopted from July 1, 1978.
The population of Delhi and the attendant problems of policing kept on multiplying and
following
the recommendations of the Srivastava Committee, the strength of Delhi Police was increased
to
the present level of above 76,000. At present, there are 6 ranges, 15 districts and 209
police
stations in Delhi. Today, Delhi Police is perhaps the largest metropolitan police in the
world,
larger than London, Paris, New York and Tokyo.