New Delhi: Manzil Saini Dehal, an Indian Police Services officer, feels proud that seeing her in uniform, several young girls have chosen her as their role model.
Appointed as Senior Superintendent of Police, Lucknow, Manzil is the first woman officer in the history of Uttar Pradesh state to take charge of the city.
Immediately after taking over, Manzil had set her priorities. “I intend to control crime and ensure law and order. My aim is also to increase the credibility of police by making the junior-level police personnel sensitive towards public and deal with them empathetically. That apart, I have taken steps for the security and safety of women in the state capital. We have increased women patrolling in some zones, provided helplines and fast response and directed immediate registration of FIRs,” she said.
Her position is quite challenging because Lucknow is the largest among all the 10 districts she has been posted in. But the 2005-batch officer is confidently developing innovative ways and involving new technologies to handle all kinds of eventualities.
Manzil is not new to explosive situations. Within six months of her first posting as Assistant Superintendent of Police in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, in 2008, she had a brush with high voltage action, blowing the lid off in what turned out to be the country’s multi-million kidney racket that had vast network of organ trade worldwide.
She recalled, “It was from a roadside brawl between two men at the railway station that we got a small clue. On interrogation, we realised one of them was a tout and the other a victim of forced kidney removal. We got leads and immediately sprang into action by conducting night-long raids in Meerut and Gurgaon and nabbed the kingpin of the scandal. It was a big breakthrough involving doctors and bigwigs.
Giving details of her first major success as a policewoman, she said: “One after the other skeletons came tumbling out of the cupboard and I missed connecting with my family. My husband called me up the next morning to know my whereabouts. I told him to switch on the TV and see me!”
The gutsy cop had become a celebrity overnight. The case was later transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the guilty were convicted. “I was very happy that the poor had got justice,” she said.
During her posting in Etawah, the hometown of Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, she came down hard on the unauthorised use of party flags in four wheelers by party workers. She went ahead and penalised them for it and also for using tinted windows in their vehicles.
Asked if she faced any kind of pressure from politicians, Manzil was upright, “Very frequently. But the tough stands have helped me get support from the media and the judiciary. Some politicians, too, appreciate my work ethics.”
Appreciation and adulation has forced her to work better and she proved her mettle while holding the post of SSP in Muzzafarnagar, Mathura and Allahabad. Even though the cop has never received threats or is intimidated by criminals, she said, “Criminals do remember me and I can sense their strong resentment towards me.”
So, does she like any common woman in India worry about the safety of her young son and daughter? “Yes, I always pray for the safety and happiness of my husband and children, as, beyond doubt, family is always a priority. Back home, I am a wife, daughter-in-law and mother. Even though policing is an all-time job, one has to strike the right balance between work and home and I try to spend quality time with family.”
Manzil had been into a private job for nearly three years. She started preparing for civil services after marrying into a business family and succeeded in her first attempt. She was in her family way when appearing for the examinations. She excelled as an athlete, while undergoing training at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy in Hyderabad.
“I come from a family of uniformed services, so policing is in the genes. For my success, I would first give credit to my father, who emphasised on studies and then to my husband for his immense support. Initially, my family was sceptical whether I would be able to cope up with the pressures of the job, but seeing my dedication and enthusiasm, they stood by me.”
Manzil had studied physics at St Stephen’s College in Delhi and went to the Delhi School of Economics, where she became a gold medalist.
Questioned about the reactions she draws from people when out with family, Manzil said, “Looks can be deceptive. As I look younger than my age, people do not believe I am an SSP and have a tough mind to match.”
What have been the toughest phases of life on and off duty? The policewoman said, “On duty, it is about tackling law and order situations or facing enquiries! Off duty, responding to the emotional needs of my children, as I get little time to spend with them.”
PROFILE
• Manzil Saini was born on September 9, 1975 in New Delhi.
• She was the only married woman with a child among eight other women in the 2005 batch of Indian Police Services officers.
• In 2008, she sent a leave application for five months to go on deputation in the CBI, but the state government paid no heed, as the tough cop had rubbed some senior government officials the wrong way.
• Known as the super cop of Uttar Pradesh Police, in 2013, she was posted to Muzaffarnagar after communal riots took place. When she came down heavily on rioters, the state government abruptly transferred her.
