CHENNAI: N Balachandran, a retired IPS officer, who became famous when he refused to suspend a traffic police officer for issuing a fine challan to the then Chief Minister MGR’s wife Janaki, breathed his last in his home at Srinagar Colony, Saidapet at around 11.30 pm on Saturday.
Known as “Bobby” among friends, he retired in 2010 when serving in the rank of Director General of Police (DGP). The family said he suffered a cardiac arrest in his sleep.
Eldest son of Narayanan, an Indian Foreign Service officer, Balachandran was born on August 28, 1950 in Alexandria in Egypt when Narayanan was posted there. Four months later, his family shifted to Madurai, where Balachandran studied in St. Mary’s School and later at St Xavier’s School in Mumbai.
A 1974 batch IPS officer, Balachandran was posted as Assistant Superintendent of Police in Ramanathapuram in 1976. He had severed as a Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) in Chennai since 1977 and also as an ADC to the then Governor, Patwari.
During his stint in Chennai, the car of MGR’s wife Janaki was fined by a traffic police officer. Strong opposition from many authorities reached Balachandran, who was then the Deputy Commissioner of Police for Traffic, to suspend the policeman who had fined Janaki. He stood firm in his decision and not only did he get the fine money but also did not suspend the policeman, his family members recall.
“Later, the then Chief Minister MGR called him personally and not only appreciated him but also recommended his name for the best officer award the following year,” said Balachandran’s younger brother N Ashok.
After the assassination of Indira Gandhi, a Special Protection Group (SPG) was formed for the protection of Prime Ministers in 1988. Balachandran was one of the first SPG forces after which he was posted as Police Commissioner in Madurai from 1993 to 1994. He briefly served as a staff officer in the Central Bureau of Investigation under well-known IPS officer R K Raghavan.
Before his retirement in 2010 he served in the rank of Director General of Police as the Chairman of Police Housing Corporation.
Balachandran is survived by wife Amreetha Aluvali, who was a national tennis champion and daughter Meenakshi, who works at the World Bank. The eldest of the family, he has three younger brothers – Ravi, Ashok and Mahesh. Many senior IPS officers paid respects to him and his last journey ended at the Kannamapet graveyard.
Walter Devaram, former DGP of Tamil Nadu, told reporters, “Balachandran joined his initial days of training under me when I was the Superintendent of Police in Vellore.” “A wonderful human being, Bobby will never hesitate to go out of his way to help anyone in distress. Interestingly, he was known among his friends for the long letters he used to write them, especially when on train journeys, when he had time to pen interesting accounts of life,” R K Raghavan said in his Facebook post.