Loknath Behera, a 1985 batch IPS officer, was Kerala’s longest-serving state police chief when he retired in June 2021. His distinguished career saw him become one of the founding members of the National Investigation Agency in 2009. After his retirement, the state government appointed him as head of Kochi Metro Rail Ltd at a crucial juncture.
He talks to TNIE about his experiences as DGP, his equation with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the Union government, the ‘Love Jihad’ controversy, and more. Excerpts:
You still hold the record of being the youngest Kochi city police commissioner. How was that experience, and how different is Kochi now?
Kochi has changed, and become bigger. When I was posted as the city police commissioner, Kochi was emerging as a commercial city. The airport was just getting developed, the Kakkanad area had just begun to take shape as an IT park… In those days, traffic was a major issue. Also, the city didn’t have floods. I was posted as commissioner for four years. Now, over the years, activities in Kochi have increased, and, along with that, crimes also have shot up. Alcoholism and drugs were always there, but, with the increase in population, the incidents also increased, and more cases are being reported.
What is your plan for Kochi now that you serve as KMRL’s managing director?
We plan to make travel hassle-free. Citizens must switch to public transport and use private vehicles only during emergencies. Also, we want to digitise travel passes as much as possible so that one can roam the city without carrying any cash or even a wallet. Just a mobile phone should be enough for anyone to travel and shop in the city. We have started QR code-based ticketing.
While you were the DGP, you once said in an interview that Kerala was not as safe a zone as we thought. Why did you say so?
Police officers will have to caution people all the time. Complacency is not good. Every state should take proactive preventive actions, and people have to be alert in all situations. If you take the number of cases, it is increasing every year. The number of FIRs registered in the 1990s was around a lakh, whereas, in 2021, the number increased to seven lakh. That means crimes are increasing. Based on this, people must be careful. As a common man, I would say that people should cooperate with the police in preventing crimes.
It is said that you were the blue-eyed boy of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. You were appointed as DGP, superseding many who were much senior to you. What would have been the reason?
I don’t know. He selected me, posted me and I joined.
You did not ask ‘why me’ when you were chosen over two of your seniors?
I never do that. In my 36 years of service, I have served wherever I was posted. I do my work sincerely wherever I am posted. There were only two posts where I really wanted to work, one in the CBI and, two, in the NIA. He must have appointed me after looking at my background and maybe because he trusts me. He posted me, and I worked.
It is also said that you have a good relationship with the BJP government in Delhi…
For me, the government is not political. It is a sovereign power and a constitutional institution. Whether it is Central or state, both have an important role to play in the development of a state. So keeping a good relationship is essential for all bureaucrats. I keep a balance. I was there in Delhi for several years and have built good relations. The people there know that I am not political. Kochi Metro is not political; it’s a developmental project.
Our chief minister is a thorough, developmental-oriented leader who does not mix politics. He has always said yes to a project that would benefit the people and bring development to the state. He will never say no to developmental proposals related to the metro, as he knows it will benefit the public. Keeping good relations with various stakeholders is important for a bureaucrat. We don’t talk about politics, we talk about development, how it should be done. Ultimately, the people benefit from this.
There is an allegation that you were posted as the DGP based on an understanding between Pinarayi Vijayan and the BJP government in Delhi…
I don’t know about that, and I will not talk about things I don’t know about.
But is it true that you have a close relationship with the BJP’s leadership?
As bureaucrats, we need to maintain good, balanced relationships with everyone. I will give you an example, we have several schemes under the Government of India, such as the police modernisation scheme, the coastal security scheme, the internal security scheme, etc. To get the benefits, we need to keep good relations with the Central government. I am not talking about political executives, but the home secretary or finance secretary.
The term ‘Love Jihad’ created quite a controversy in Kerala... You were the first one to make an official statement that there was no ‘Love Jihad’ in the state.
I always used to say that Kerala is a very secular state. Marriage between two people belonging to different religions is a common phenomenon here when compared with other states. Calling it ‘Love Jihad’ or some other jihad is a political thing. If a girl gets married to a boy belonging to another religion, what is wrong with that? I didn’t go behind the definition.
So, was the term ‘Love Jihad’ part of a conspiracy?
I don’t accept that term. My thought is that this must not communalise our society. We should live peacefully. India is a secular country, and we should be secular in our minds and hearts as well. If two people love each other, want to get married and live happily, we, too, should be happy. I have seen families in Kerala where the wife goes to the church or mosque and the husband to the temple. They live happily, following their respective religions. It is not correct to create controversy for the sake of it, and this was what I had said earlier as well.
It is said that bureaucrats from north India fall in love with Kerala so much that they settle down here…
I have settled down here (smiles). For me, Kerala is a beautiful place that is system-driven. It provides good healthcare, the people are very friendly and extremely secular, and there is no language barrier – an ideal place to stay after retirement. I believe that it was a good decision for me to stay in Kerala. If we look at all the human development indexes and other parameters, Kerala is like a Western country. The infant mortality rates, healthcare, electricity, water supply, etc. The indicators are the same as in Western countries. Why should I leave such a developed state? So I settled here (laughs).
Have any of your friends settled in Kerala?
[Former DGP] Raman Srivastava sir, my senior and a teacher to me, is here. [Former Niti Aayog CEO] Amitabh Kant sir also told me that he wants to settle in Kerala. He told me to settle here first, and later he would also come (laughs).
Pinarayi Vijayan is often considered an efficient administrator, but he has received flak for the way he managed the home department.
The home portfolio is a very sensitive department. It’s like interpreting whether the glass is half full or half empty. The police and home department are sensitive areas, and there will be criticism. You should see how the government led by the chief minister handled it. There will be some negatives always, but the positives were more.
Did the police have a free hand?
Yes, I had a free hand under him. I served as DGP for five years, and not once did he interfere. As per the law, we were supposed to inform him, and we did that, as he has to report it at the assembly. He always asked us to go by the law. That was the only thing he insisted on.
Did this free hand lead the police to highhandedness?
No. He gave us a free hand, saying that we should not take the law into our own hands. He always told us to give priority to the needs of the common people. He told us that Janamaithri police must visit all houses in their respective areas and report issues other than law and order. This was very effective. We created a template and executed it across the state. Through this, we detected several cases and could report issues that needed attention. A leading publication had ranked Kerala Police as the best in the country in 2021.
But there were also reports of custodial deaths and third-degree torture…
Some police officers displayed highhandedness. The chief minister told us that there would be zero tolerance to torture in custody. He had decided that if third-degree torture or custodial death was reported, the case would be handed over to the CBI without any questions. He said he would protect us as long as we obeyed the law. He told us that he would not tolerate anyone being taken into custody and beaten to death. That is the sign of a good leader.
One of the biggest issues, when you were in service, was the killing of Maoists… Looking back, do you believe it could have been handled in a better way?
I don’t go by conjectures. I have handled several cases related to counter-terrorism in different states. In what situation did that encounter take place? That has to be appreciated. The field officers submitted reports, and I trust my officers. They did things as per the law. When the officers go to the forest for patrol, if the Maoists start firing or challenging the officers, what should they do? I still remember that after one of the encounters, the then chief secretary (Tom Jose) had written an article arguing that what is to be done is best decided in the field. How should the officers handle those who come heavily armed with AK-47s and grenades? As long as the officers have followed the law and propriety, all is well.
When you were the DGP, at least 21 Malayalis joined ISIS. Wasn’t it an intelligence failure?
It is easy to say it was an intelligence failure. I will not say it was not. At that time, it was a big surprise to the entire country. It is difficult to gather such information. The 21 people were from different parts of the state. As per the records, there was no indication that they were in contact with them (ISIS). People joined ISIS from other states, too. It got reported more here because all of them were professionals and educated, whereas, in other states, that was not the case. Anyway, it was a question of national security. After that, what we did must be looked at. We had a high level of monitoring and surveillance, and not many people joined ISIS after that.
Is the network still active?
I don’t know about that.
Even family members were surprised in many cases…
A lot of people joined ISIS because their propaganda was very convincing. There was this girl, from Thiruvananthapuram, who used to go to the temple every day. Her mother met me once….
Was that a case of ‘Love Jihad’?
See, I will never use that term. I don’t believe in that. We don’t know what a couple talks to each other about. We don’t know…
When you were the DGP, you had to step down for a brief period and then return to the post…
The Supreme Court said that (to reinstate former DGP T P Senkumar), and I had to do that because it’s the law.
Post-retirement, many bureaucrats are getting plum posts. Is it a good trend?
If you ask me, it’s good. There’s the satisfaction that I am doing something for people. I think in many Western countries, they don’t allow talents to fade. If a person has done well and if he or she is an expert in a particular field, that talent should be utilised to the maximum. Domain knowledge is very important. If you are a good administrator, you can manage projects and infrastructure, and offer expertise. This will benefit the government and the people.