75th anniversary of the Delhi Police

75th anniversary of the Delhi Police

The 75th Raising Day Parade of the Delhi Police was attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Delhi Commissioner of Police Rakesh Asthana. Following the parade,  issued a special postage stamp commemorating the Delhi Police’s 75th anniversary. The origins of the Delhi police can be traced back to the 12th century when Malikul Umara Faqruddin was appointed as the first Kotwal. However, the British established an organised form of policing after the first war of freedom in 1857, with the adoption of the Indian Police Act of 1861.

Even after becoming the capital of India in 1912, Delhi, as a part of Punjab, remained a unit of the Punjab Police. The first Chief Commissioner of Delhi was appointed the same year, and he was given the powers and functions of the Inspector General of Police. As per the 1912 Gazette, the Delhi District was under the command of a DIG of Police, whose headquarters were in Ambala. However, the police force in the Delhi district was led by a Superintendent and a Deputy Superintendent of Police. The force had two Inspectors, 27 Sub-inspectors, 110 Head Constables, 985 Foot Constables, and 28 Sawars at the time.

The Delhi Police underwent a complete overhaul when its strength was doubled in 1946. Soon after the partition, there was a large influx of population, and crime rose sharply in 1948. The first IGP of Delhi was appointed on February 16, 1948, and the total strength of the Delhi Police was increased to around 8,000 by 1951. By 1961, the city had more than 12,000 officers and the force kept on growing in tandem with the city’s population.

In 1966, the Government of India established the Delhi Police Commission, led by Justice GD Khosla, to investigate the problems faced by the Delhi Police. The Delhi Police was reorganised based on the findings of the Khosla Commission Report. Four police districts were established: North, Central, South, and New Delhi. The Delhi Police Commission also recommended the implementation of the Police Commissioner System, which was finally implemented on July 1, 1978.

Stamp issued on 16th February-2022.