Rakesh Maria

Rakesh Maria was born in Punjabi family to Vijay Madia (the surname got distorted to Maria) who resided in Bandra, Mumbai.

His father a well-known name in film circles was founder of Kala Niketan, a banner under which he made films such as Kaajal, Preetam, Neel Kamal, among others as a top Bollywood financier and producer.[4]

He completed his graduation from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai. He chose to make the career as an IPS officer, cracking the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) exams to get an IPS cadre.[5]

Incidentally, as was told by him in an interview, Retd. Air Chief Marshal Pratap Chandra Lal was on his interview panel for IPS. He recalled therein the Khalistan movement and the 1993 Bombay bombings.[6]

He belongs to the 1981 batch of the Indian Police Service. His first posting was as assistant superintendent of police in Akola, and then Buldhana, in the interiors of Maharashtra.

He came to Mumbai in 1986. He was the Deputy Commissioner Police (Traffic) in 1993.[7] He was appointed the Commissioner of Mumbai Police on 15 February 2014.[3] He retired on 31 January 2017, after putting in 36 years of distinguished service[8]

As the Deputy Commissioner Police (Traffic) in 1993, he cracked the Bombay serial blasts case, and later moved to DCP (Crime) and then Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) of the Mumbai Police.[7]

Maria cracked the 2003 Gateway of India and Zaveri Bazaar twin blasts case, arresting six persons, including a couple for planting the explosive devices inside taxis.[7][9] The investigation[10] was proved successful when the arrestees Ashrat Ansari, Haneef Sayyed and his wife Fahmeeda were convicted and sentenced to death in August 2009 by a special POTA court in Mumbai. Later, the death sentence was upheld by Bombay High Court in February 2012.[11][12]

Maria was given the responsibility of investigating the 26/11 Mumbai attacks of 2008. He interrogated Ajmal Kasab,[9] the only terrorist captured alive,[13] and successfully investigated the case. Kasab was executed by hanging in 2012.[14] In his 2020 memoir 'Let Me Say It Now', elaborating on the Hindu Terror conspiracy, Maria writes, 'If all had gone well he [Ajmal Kasab, the only one of the ten terrorists to be caught alive] would have been dead with a red string tied around his wrist like a Hindu. We would have found an identity card on this person with fictitious name Samir Dinesh Choudhari, student of Arunoday Degree and P.G College.' and said that it ruined the plans of Pakistan of proclaiming the Mumbai Terror Attack as a Hindu conspiracy.[15]

He is married to Preeti and the couple have two sons, Kunal and Krish. Maria hails from a film family which owns their own production house Kala Niketan.[16] Maria had also represented his state Maharashtra in Karate at the National Games in 1979.[17] Preeti is from Delhi. She completed her graduation from Lady Sri Ram College and further went on to do Post graduation from Europe. He had met his wife for the first time on the day of his marriage. [18]

In 2020, he wrote a book called "Let Me Say It Now" published by Westland publications.[19]

• In the film Black Friday, actor Kay Kay Menon played the role of Maria.[21] In the film's timeline (after 1993 Bomb Blasts), Rakesh Maria was the Deputy Commissioner of Police, and in charge of the investigation.
• The character Ajay Lal in Suketu Mehta's nonfiction work Maximum City is based on Maria.
• Nana Patekar played the role of Maria in Ram Gopal Varma film The Attacks of 26/11.[22][23] In this film, Maria was portrayed as a Senior officer during 2008 Mumbai attacks.
• In the movie, A Wednesday!, directed by Neeraj Pandey. Anupam Kher's character was inspired by Maria.