DCP Usha Rangnani, an ace investigator who detects crime in record time and a face changer for women personnel in Delhi Police

New Delhi, March 30

There is popular belief that when you are meant for something and have a knack of it somewhere hidden inside you, the life paves a path for you to reach that destination. The same is true for IPS officer Usha Rangnani, who took up Indian Police Services after initial reluctance but her change of perception proved to be a boon for Delhi Police with her as an ace investigator in the force. 

Known for cracking cases in record time and heartfelt initiatives for citizens, Usha Rangnani, DCP (North West) in Delhi Police has been inspiring her colleagues and seniors with her remarkable work. 

In an exclusive interview with BW PoliceWorld, DCP (North West) Usha Rangnani speaks about key initiatives that she pioneered in Delhi Police, curbing crimes and changing narrative of women police in Delhi.  

1) You pioneered the initiative ‘Tejaswini’ in Delhi Police, the first initiative started for strengthening women police force. Please tell us more about this which has been regarded as the most successful initiative.  

I started with one beat one woman cop system where one woman police constable was appointed in each beat with full authority, responsibility and freedom to work. Earlier, they had responsibility to work but no authority. When the women beat cops were appointed, women citizens started interacting more with the police. I review them every three months and the girls are binging about a change in the society”. 

Contrary to the opinion that women police cannot catch snatchers, robbers or carry out big investigations, the women police under Tejaswini brought down cases of gambling, bootlegging and even street crimes which took many by surprise.  One of my woman constables, Sanvi rides a bike and has become an iconic figure. Kiran is an expert of catching snatchers. The people in the vicinity have started calling her Asha ki Kiran. The presence of women personnel has changed the scenario in northwest district. 

The idea was not to merely start an initiative like a project. I review the work every three months where the women personnel are guided and heard and we adapt new techniques to handle a particular crime or incident. This initiative gives me immense happiness that it pioneered the representation of women in Delhi Police and inspired others to strengthen women officials in the force. 

2) You are strengthening the women police in your district who are further strengthening the women citizens? How did you start this positive and thought changing process?

The women citizens in the district often become targets of street crimes. On one side as we involved more women personnel into active policing the other side started taking steps to reach more and more women citizens in the district. The women in the area started interacting with the women beat constables and they developed a regular communication bond. This gave us a message that women want to be actively involved. 

Taking a step ahead, the women cops were trained into self-defence techniques and are now imparting self-defence training to the women citizens in the area for further empowerment. Hundreds of women have taken this training as a step for prevention. The police in the district is alert and on the toes yet if a woman or any citizen learns to prevent the crime, it will nib the bud. 

The objective of establishing these booths is to provide safety and security to the residents, students & commuters especially women & children as well as to provide facilitation and guidance to them in case of any need such as lodging of online complaints, missing reports, FIRs related to theft and other petty offences and for getting information/ updates. They are also informed and motivated to report the cases of violence against them. These booths are established at main and busy junctions like markets/places of heavy footfalls and areas frequented by women in North-West District. It includes locations of Pragati Market in Ashok Vihar, Satyawati College in Bharat Nagar, NSP Complex in Subhash Place, DT Mall in Shalimar Bagh, Batra Complex in Mukherjee Nagar etc. These booths play a major role in improving Public-Police interface and providing women centric services with ease and accessibility.

3) You started community building and outreach programmes for elderlies and children who are vulnerable to crimes. Tell us more about it. 

In order to approach the issue of safety & security of senior citizens, with the element of sensitivity and to generate a feeling of togetherness, care and comradeship, women police personnel regularly visit female senior citizens of the area under the initiative ‘PARVAAH- We Care’. 

We regularly organize interaction programme and health checkup camps for senior citizens, sensitize them regarding taking measures for their own safety & security, lend an ear to listen and redress their problems & grievances and lend a shoulder to lean on even if momentarily. They also inform them regarding “DOs & Don’ts” that should be followed for their safety and security. They are also apprised about various schemes of Delhi Police like Eyes & Ears scheme, Neighbourhood Watch Scheme, Senior Citizen App etc. 

They are sensitized and alerted senior citizens not to fall prey to fraudsters, especially online scammers. Also motivate them to use ‘Senior Citizen App’ of Delhi Police so that they can use SOS Button in case of emergency. North-West police regularly celebrate birthdays of senior citizens and organize fun activities like musical chair, singing songs in order to make them feel good & lively. They also give special attention to those senior citizens who live alone and frequently visit to their residences and even provide necessary basic amenities in case of need. 

Their regular visits to single female senior citizens living alone,  providing necessary amenities when in need, extending  compassion & attention not only bring smiles on their wrinkled  faces but their moist eyes and blessings given by trembling  hands is such a rewarding sight which no other worldly awards and riches can compensate. 

We started Masoom for children and built Child Friendly Corners in all 11 police stations of the district. The aim is to provide dedicated friendly space for children in police stations, where they can play, learn and express themselves freely while they interact with police. 

These “Child Friendly Corners” provide a dedicated comfortable space for children with play materials, educational games, note books, colouring books, toys, drinking water, food & have child friendly fixtures & fittings. A dedicated women staff has also been deployed in each ‘Child Friendly Corner’ to look after the kids. These Child Friendly Corners provide a safe place in which also serves the purpose of crèche where female police staff can comfortably leave their kids and attend their field duties with dedication and without worries. The female complainants who come to police station with their kids, can also leave their kids in these corners while they attend counselling or avail other police services.

4) You are popularly known as case cracker who ensures detection in serious crime cases of murder, snatching and assault within record time. Could you share your experience of some of these cases?

I remember a case of an assault on a woman who tried to resist chain snatching in the area at night hours. I had reached home and about to have dinner when my officers called me saying that the situation was tense. I rushed there to see and was disheartened to know that a woman fought but the robbers stabbed her for resisting the robbery. The citizens were disturbed and in shock and started demanding answers. I told them give me 12 hours and we would solve this and we arrested the two men from Jahangirpuri within 24 hours. 

Similarly, there was another case from Adarshnagar where a Chartered Accountant was murdered. We started hunting for these unidentified people with only one clue that they had a red coloured two wheeler and were bare foot. We hunted for red two wheelers in the area after scanning hundreds of CCTV cameras and in one footage found a man with bare foot driving the scooter and traced him but when the police team reached to arrest, he fled. He kept shuttling between UP and Delhi. The team through technical surveillance located him in Gonda and reached there but when he was about to be arrested, he jumped terrace of the houses there and fled taking a train to Delhi. The hot chase brought the police team back to Delhi and they finally nabbed him when he took shelter in a brothel. 

The accused turned out to be a historysheeter with over 20 cases file against him and was a drug addict who committed the crime for drugs and money. 

In fact, I remember that during my start as the DCP (North West), there was a robbery in Reliance showroom in Pitampura which my team solved in 48 hours. That was my first case as the DCP and after that I ensured that any crime report in the district is attended to and solved in shortest possible time. The police teams in this district are constantly ensured to be on their toes and nab criminals in record time.

5) You cracked down on repeated offender and history sheeters in your district. You also initiated ‘Operation Sajag’ to control crimes and criminals in the district. Please tell us more about it. 

The topography of North West has a mixed ethos. On one side you have large resettlement and JJ colonies around the highways that run close to this area. The demography here is of people who are mostly migrants and low income groups who get into crimes for money. The activities of bootlegging and gambling are high, which gives them quick money. 

The other sides has big residential colonies with affluent neighbhourhood which becomes the target for criminals to commit robberies, snatching, etc. The highways give them a scope to flee after committing crimes in this area. We decided to prepare a graph of this area and identified the hot spots that need to be watched. We also made a list of the criminals and repeated offenders found in this district. We analysed what is causing high numbers of offenses or problems and deigned an operation according to the same. 

We initiated ‘Operation Sajag’ which means aware. This operation involves curbing crime by task oriented Patrolling and Picketing  (including night patrolling, highway patrolling, foot and group patrolling, all women patrol, ABCD scheme of picketing etc.), enhancing police visibility, preventive action against listed and budding criminals, surveillance over listed/budding/Jail-bail released criminals, initiation of externment proceedings, cancellation of bail applications, intelligence based surprise raids and combing operations and curbing organised crime. The combing and search operations are also carried out in the area in co-ordination with railways to verify and control the activities of known criminals

Though the presence of dreaded gangs and their activities are not present in this district, in one case we had arrested sharp shooters of Lawrence Bishnoi and Kala Jathedi gang. 

To further improvise the operation, we roped in another element ‘Suraksha se Vikas’ to bring more stakeholders into community policing initiatives where involvement of the citizens increases with us. We believe that when we succeed in securing citizens, the society and the country at larger scale will progress. One cannot expect progress without security. 

6) Speaking of stakeholders, the North West district also has an initiative of Praharis. Who are these Praharis?

The programme ‘Praharis’ is to involve the segment of security guards with police. There are many cases where the security guards are posted in residential or commercial establishment but they fail to provide the expected security. I would like to highlight one case in this regard. There was a robbery in a jewellery store where a security guard was present but didn’t even move to stop the robbers. During our usual questioning, we decided that we should involve him into training and changing his perception under the Praharis initiative. A few months later, the same gang of robbers entered the jewellery store for loot, they again managed to rob but this time guard chased them for a long time and called in police leading to their arrest. The security guards are encouraged under this initiative to aide us, be our eyes and ears and stay alert.

7) You have led the building of cyber police station in North West district and finalized the designs to logistics of the same. Tell us about this project that you put your heart into. 

The cybercrime is the biggest crime getting reported these days at the police station. It was Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana’s initiation that Delhi Police should have dedicated and independent cyber police stations in each district. The cyber police station has been designed with latest state of the art technology with SHO and staff appointed. The cyber police station has its own forensic lab, investigating officers’ rooms, modernized records room, ladies room for women officials and even a barrack for the staff to stay for night hours and change of duty. We have put up special posters with messages of various cybercrimes, important quotes of cybercrime experts and the visitors’ room has been stocked with information, booklets, leaflets on cybercrimes, helplines, SOP to report and importantly preventive methods. 

8) You are an ace investigator and also won hearts of citizens in your district with people oriented initiatives. What inspired you to join the IPS?

I wanted to join the civil services but honestly was reluctant of policing. I wanted to take up IAS. I gave three attempts for UPSC and every time I used to put IPS as the fifth/sixth almost last option. I did my schooling and college in Agra while preparing for UPSC, I met a fine woman IPS officer who was posted as SP Agra then. She used to often guide me for my studies. I observed her work, the way she handles cases, dealt with situations, aided citizens in distress and after seeing her my perception changed. I was also apprehensive of Delhi as a girl grown up in Agra.  

It is interesting to know that during my third attempt when I chose IPS as my first preference, I not only cleared UPSC but even got selected in IPS. That day I realised that I was meant to be an IPS officer and hence couldn’t make it through the previous attempts. After my training when I started to work, the feeling of pride of wearing this uniform, I thanked the same officer and felt extremely happy to change my own perception. That day I also decided I will change the reputation of Delhi among women in other state and districts by contributing maximum for their safety through Delhi Police. 

DCP Usha Rangnani is a 2011 batch IPS officer. Born and brought up in Agra of Uttar Pradesh, Rangnani worked as commercial tax officer in Agra before joining police. Rangnani is a graduate in Public Administration from IGNOU and Post Graduate in Political Science from IGNOU where she was awarded a gold medal. 

She served in Andaman & Nicobar Police for three years. In Delhi Police, she has served in the Economic Offences wing and Police Control Room. 

During IPS training in National Police Academy, adjudged amongst top five best probationers (overall performance), silver medalist in cross country run and a gold medalist in swimming.

DCP Usha Rangnani thoroughly believes that policing has empowered her and she wants to further empower the women around her by strengthening them in every sphere of life. She believes that though women safety is not the only duty of a woman police officer but definitely a priority to safeguard and empower another woman.