Among uniformed personnel, the Tamil Nadu police are often compared with the Scotland Yard, the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, London, for professional competency. There is no particular case that warrants the comparison, but senior police officers say the stature took shape over time. The Tamil Nadu police gained accolades by solving complicated or clueless cases through meticulous investigation, done mostly by the Crime Branch-CID. Serving and former police officers say a fine blend of conventional and modern policing has positioned Tamil Nadu ahead of others and the comparison with the Scotland Yard is obsolete and irrelevant, given the number of cases, police-public ratio, and the rate of detection/conviction.
Former Director-General of Police (DGP) K. Ramanujam, who also headed the State Intelligence, recalls that the cracking of sensational cases, such as the counterfeit currency case of the 1960s or the ‘vesa oosi’ (poisoned syringe) killings of 1970s, gave rise to the comparison. “Even when I joined service, in the last century, I used to hear people say ‘T.N. police is next only to Scotland Yard.’ Incidentally, Scotland Yard is not a mere detective unit. The term refers to London Metropolitan Police, which is one of the 43 police forces in England and Wales. It had its headquarters in a building called Scotland Yard and came to be referred to by that name,” he says.
Many firsts in policing
Mr. Ramanujam says the State was the first to use drones for policing and its contingent used to stand first at the Scientific Aids to Investigation event held as part of the All India Police Duty Meet. “No doubt, the Tamil Nadu police have much to be proud of.” He points to an interesting fact that may place the erstwhile Madras Police and Bengal Police ahead of Scotland Yard. The Third Tamil Nadu Police Commission’s report of 2007 includes a 1909 document, available with the Fingerprint Bureau, Chennai. It speaks about the launch of the Fingerprint Bureau in Chennai on 26 August, 1895, with just one inspector and two clerks. But the fingerprint identification system was first adopted by the police forces in England only in 1901. The State pioneered the use of computers for police work. And the Tamil Nadu police were the only force that had its own dedicated communication channel with microwave radios and repeaters.
“I do not think any other State has the kind of the technical services wing that we have in strength or abilities. Therefore, comparing the Tamil Nadu police with the best models in the world cannot be regarded as an empty boast. Such favourable comparisons would enhance the self-esteem and esprit de corps of the force, which goes to improve the efficiency. We should, however, look forward to the day when the Scotland Yard starts saying that they are next only to the Tamil Nadu police,” Mr. Ramanujam says.
In 1963, the Crime Branch-CID was compared with the Scotland Yard by Justice Anantha Narayanan at a function held at Rajaji Hall in Chennai. It was attended by the Director, Intelligence Bureau, B.N. Mallick, and others. The case pertained to the murder for gain of Dr. Maragathavelu, his wife and two daughters in Thoothukudi in 1961. The CB-CID had investigated and detected the case through logical reasoning and scientific methods.
A.X. Alexander, another former DGP, who also served in the State Intelligence, recalls that the Scotland Yard had become popular for detecting sensational crimes, like ‘Jack the Ripper’, which caught the attention of educated citizens. According to him, in India, the graphic reporting of such cases by the press (the British press) conferred an appreciative glow on the Scotland Yard. Detectives developed their skills by reading reports of true investigation by the Scotland Yard as well as the stories of authors like Arthur Conan Doyle. They learnt a lot and wanted to emulate and excel them. “Such learning resulted in high-class investigation in sensational cases such as the Alavandar murder case, the Auto Shankar case, serial cases of car thefts, the Pon Navarsu murder case, and idol theft cases,” he says. “I had experienced excellent cooperation from the Scotland Yard Special Branch when they came for advance liaison and when on duty during the visits of Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth. They were effective, efficient and to the point,” he said.
Idol recovery
Mr. Alexander recalls his visit to the United Kingdom, along with the then Inspector-General of Police (IGP) of CB-CID, Rajasekharan Nair, in 1983 for the recovery of a stolen idol. That is perhaps one of the oldest cases of idol recovery from a foreign country. They attended court proceedings at the Old Bailey, London, in connection with the theft and smuggling of an idol of Lord Nataraja from a village temple. “We had taken the priest to depose in the court. The idol had been stolen and sold to an individual in the U.S., and from there to a London auction house. The CB-CID had excellent cooperation from not only Scotland Yard but also the court in locating, prosecuting and getting the idol back to Tamil Nadu.”
Human intelligence
T. Rajendran, a retired DGP, says the Fingerprint Bureau played a key role in detection of a large number of cases, helping to build the credibility of the police. “Many riots or violent incidents were averted, thanks to effective human intelligence. Those were the days when there were a limited number of newspapers/channels and no concept of social media. By and large, there was certain kind of professionalism in the force,” he said.
