Interview: Adilabad SP Akhil Mahajan welcomes open-door policing, no-nonsense crime fighting

Adilabad: What can be a more satisfying experience for a responsible public servant than being the cause of that rare smile spreading over the face of an otherwise tormented poor person?

“Actually, it takes very little to evoke that smile,” stated Adilabad district superintendent of police Akhil Mahajan, who is determined to address irritant issues dogging the common man.

Having open access to visitors

It is his straightforward approach in dealing with crimes and criminals which has kept him constantly in the news and has endeared him to the common people. In as short a span of time as four months, the 2017 batch IPS officer has injected vigour into the police force he heads.

Mahajan’s presence at the helm is found to be reassuring by the people who have been seeking justice for years and who are now flocking to his office seeking an audience with him. Getting access to the top police officer and justice can be as easy as sending a message to the dedicated WhatsApp number.

The number of petitions being received every working day reveals the popularity of the process of setting things right that the SP has put in motion since March 10 this year, when he took over. To put it in perspective, nearly 550 petitions have been received in his office during the period as against the 334 that were received in 2024 and 230 during 2023.

Mahajan spoke with NewsMeter on his unique endeavour, essential in ironing out tricky things. He also spoke about the people’s policing factor, which, in his opinion, can be very effective while dealing with the law.

Here are some excerpts from the interview:

Q: Was the police force in the district equipped well to tackle emerging trends in cybercrime?

A: I must confess that the quality of investigation in crime was rather poor. But we have put in place a methodology to improve skills in investigation among our officers, which includes taking up an English speaking course, a writing course, etc. A 20-day training in handling cybercrimes has improved the skills of the officers. One of the teams in cybercrime has gone to Madhya Pradesh to pursue leads, thanks to the training.

Q: What was your impression of Adilabad district in terms of law and order when you were transferred here as SP?

A: Everyone told me that this is a very calm and peaceful place, which it is. But it was not devoid of crime. Crime here was only ignored by all concerned.

Q: Did you detect any crimes that are unique to the Adilabad district?

A: May not be unique, but I found youngsters celebrating birthdays by the side of the roads and using long swords to cut cakes that too late in the night. This practice needed to be stopped, and we did all that was necessary. We also put a stop to the trend of youth roaming in town at night. This was important as it will give way to thefts in tier 2 or tier 3 towns, where people hardly have a valid reason to be on the road in the dead of the night. Our SHE teams have also put in commendable work in controlling eve-teasing. Within just one week, the teams booked five cases.

Q: The topic of gossip in the district is how land issues are being tackled. Can you explain your methodology?

A. I was not expecting to find land issues in Adilabad, to be honest. But land grabbing and cheating in land deals are well entrenched in the district. Though land deals are known among people to be of civil nature not requiring police interference, we are unearthing cases where land sharks and other criminals have used forgery to lay claim to properties of genuine owners and on government lands. We are booking criminal cases against the accused after a thorough investigation into every such case. This is essential to control organised crime.

Q: You have unearthed a scam in rural banking in the district. Can you explain?

A: Yes, it is perhaps unique to this district that brokers are facilitating agriculture loans, charging farmers an exorbitant rate of interest. We booked 34 brokers during a special operation earlier this month.

Q: What have you done to control social evils like ganja smuggling, as Adilabad is known to be an important transit point in the nefarious trade?

A: We booked 72 cases related to cultivation and trade in ganja. The contraband is not available as easily as it used to be in the past.

Q: What kind of role can community policing play in controlling crime in the current circumstances?

A: I have great hope in community policing. We are visiting villages and trying to identify problems which can be brought to the notice of the concerned department. Due to our efforts, some places in the interiors will get check dams across local streams, which will address water shortages, etc.

We are also making preparations to conduct a job mela for the unemployed youngsters. The dates have not been finalised, but it will be held in the near future.