December 27, 2025 07:42 AM IST First published on: Dec 27, 2025 at 07:41 AM ISTI assumed charge as Director General of Police, Haryana, in mid-October, at a time when cynicism hung heavily over the institution I was sworn to lead. Public trust in policing was fragile. Within the force, morale was uneven. Then came a moment that shook us deeply — the suicide of a serving Inspector General, accompanied by allegations of caste-based discrimination.There are no manuals for inheriting grief, anger and suspicion all at once. But leadership, I have learnt, is tested in moments when the institution is under moral scrutiny. The death of a senior officer was not merely a personal tragedy. It was an institutional wound. Allegations of discrimination strike at the very idea of a uniformed service — rank, responsibility and respect flow from duty, not from identity. To pretend otherwise would be dishonest. To dismiss the pain such allegations cause would be worse.AdvertisementAt such times, the temptation for any organisation is to retreat into procedure — to say that inquiries will be held, files examined, rules followed. Those things matter. But they are not enough. What the moment demanded was clarity — about values, intent, and what policing must stand for in a constitutional democracy.Policing today does not operate in a forgiving environment. Citizens are more questioning than before. Social media has ensured that silence is no longer neutral — it is interpreted as avoidance. Within the force, too, officers expect fairness, transparency and dignity. I was conscious, therefore, that restoring confidence — outside and inside the organisation— would require more than operational success. It would require credibility. From the outset, my belief has been simple: Policing cannot survive on fear or distance. In a democracy, authority does not come from the uniform alone; it comes from trust. And trust follows when the police are visible in action, honest in intent, and clear in communication.We moved decisively against criminal networks — habitual offenders, illegal arms suppliers, narcotics chains, and crime-prone pockets. Operations such as Trackdown and Hotspot Domination were not about optics. They were about signalling that the state had not vacated the field. Crime cannot be wished away, but it can be disrupted.AdvertisementAt the same time, we tried to explain what we were doing and why. When citizens know what to expect, mistrust begins to ease, even if slowly. This approach was equally necessary within the force. The police is a hierarchical organisation, but it cannot afford to be a closed one. Allegations of discrimination —whether proven or not— must be addressed with seriousness and empathy. As DGP, I see it as my duty to ensure that every officer, regardless of background, feels protected by rules, heard by leadership, and judged by performance.most readHaryana’s context makes these challenges sharper. The state surrounds the national capital, hosts major industrial corridors, and faces complex crime patterns — cyber fraud, organised extortion, narcotics, and interstate gangs. Law and order here affects livelihoods, investment, and everyday life. Citizens do not expect perfection from the police. They expect presence, responsiveness and fairness. Technology has helped us, but it is not a cure-all. Systems and platforms can support policing, but they cannot replace leadership. Ultimately, trust flows from how officers behave, how decisions are made, how mistakes are acknowledged.I am conscious that structural change in policing does not happen in months. The real work lies ahead: Embedding transparency in processes, consistency in postings, fairness in evaluations, and accountability at all levels. It also means accepting criticism that is informed and rejecting only that which is malicious. The tragedy that marked the early days of my tenure will not be forgotten. Institutions grow stronger not by erasing uncomfortable moments, but by learning from them.Policing today stands at a crossroads. We can cling to distance and authority and watch trust erode. Or we can choose visibility, explanation and fairness, even when it is uncomfortable. I have chosen the latter path — not because it is easy, but because it is necessary. Policing, if it is to serve the Republic with honour, must be worthy of the trust it seeks.The writer is DGP, Haryana