Cool, calm, composed with suave manners, Prakash Mishra is widely perceived as a granite rock material amid the higher echelons of the country’s police administration. After obtaining a gold medal from the Utkal University for securing top rank among the successful candidates in Applied Economics, he pursued Law in the same university and came out with flying colours securing the top position in LLB examinations as well. He opened his innings to the IPS cadre in 1977. Climbing the hierarchical ladder, he became Director General of Police in Odisha and subsequently held important positions in the Government of India. He handled many sensitive cases in the CBI including the cases of Jammu and Kashmir. He served as Special DG of National Investigating Agency; Director General of NDRF; Special Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs; and Director General, Central Reserve Police, India's largest paramilitary organisation. After his superannuation, he was appointed as Director General, Fire Services & Civil Defence in Government of India. Finally, he was appointed as Advisor to Governor, Uttarakhand when the State was under President's Rule. Currently, he is a front-ranking Bharatiya Janata Party leader. He was the BJP candidate for the Cuttack Lok Sabha constituency in the 2019 elections. He is widely known for his uprightness and unimpeachable integrity. His monumental contribution rests in his pioneering works for curbing Maoist activities in Odisha. In an interview to The Pioneer, Mishra spoke to Sugyan Choudhury from his ancestral residence at BJB Nagar, Bhubaneswar.
What is your considered opinion regarding modernisation of police force in Odisha?
Modernisation is an ongoing process. Odisha Police has rather done well in modernising its capacity to counter Leftwing extremist-related problems. However, if you talk of civil police that affects the general population, it has a long way to go. Very little has been done to modernise the police response mechanism. The force has not only to increase its strength in police stations but also increase its capacity to be more mobile. Availability and use of scientific aids are at an abysmally-low level. Nothing has been done to develop backroom expertise in dealing with financial crime, cyber crime, surveillance and in many other fields.
What is your rating of the Odisha Police in comparison to and in contrast with other States’ police departments?
As I said earlier, in facing the challenge of Leftwing extremism, Odisha Police has done remarkably well. However, in general policing, many States have gone ahead. ‘Dial 100’ of UP, which has been adopted by States like Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and a few more, has given new dimensions to police response. Forensic capabilities of many States are far more advanced. Many States have increased manpower at the police station level whereas the police stations in Odisha have very little manpower.
In past, a former DGP described Bhubaneswar as the crime capital of India. What’s your response to this observation?
I do not know who gave this statement and in what context. However, Bhubaneswar certainly has many policing issues. One is lack of manpower. Being the State capital and with concentration of VIPs, with mega events, Assembly sessions, the priority of the police is more on these than on crime prevention and detection. But to describe Bhubaneswar as the crime capital of India is a bit harsh and statistically wrong.
It is alleged by general public that FIRs are not registered in most cases by police. What could be the reason and the remedial measures for this?
This is a problem all over the country. Overdependence on statistics to showcase our achievements in crime control could be one of the major contributing factors for this. It needs a political will and commitment from senior officers to put an end to this. We could also enforce a strong community policing system which can deal with this issue.
There is a widespread feeling among intellectuals of our State that you have been prevented from the coveted position of CBI Director. How far is it true?
Well, if you look at the events which unfolded close to the selection of the Director, CBI in 2014, it can only be concluded that they were done with a purpose. First, it was some nonspecific (State) Vigilance enquiry to prevent me from going to Delhi. Having failed in that, they hurriedly registered a concocted case. All this proves that there was desperation to ensure that I did not land up in that position.
What are your suggestions for ushering in an era of camaraderie among Press, police and general public?
All problems arise when there is a perception that police is partisan. Wherever police works independently and takes its decisions based on facts, it gets the support of the people and the Press. Sadly, police have deviated a lot from the past. They have become so partisan that they have to face resentment from people and also Press. My only advice to them is to be fair and transparent in their actions. Other things will follow.
Could you please narrate a memorable experience of your career in the police administration?
There have been so many interesting incidents during my long career. However, one thing which really stood out is the turnaround we achieved in our fight against Leftwing extremism. The young SPs of the affected districts started leading from the front and achieved spectacular results. In one of the meetings held at Delhi which I was attending as DGP, Odisha, the Union Home Minister announced that Odisha is the best-performing State and commended me. Earlier, the model State was always Andhra Pradesh. In this meeting, all States were asked to emulate the Andhra-Odisha model.