FOR THE POLICE, FOR THE PEOPLE

Meet some of the men and women who work away from the spotlight, but play a crucial role in how the Indian policing system operates

- NIRMAL JOVIAL

A moustachioed man in khaki might spring to mind when one thinks of the police, but there is a quieter, more under-appreciated force working behind the scenes to uphold justice. A force made up of ‘specialists’ who are at times undervalued, underpaid and seen as outsiders to the system. Be it evidence collection, crime scene photography or convict counselling, these men and women work tirelessly, often while holding another job, to do their bit to ensure a safer society. THE WEEK profiles five such unsung heroes:

The pencil of justice

On August 22, 2013, five men, including a minor, raped a 22-year-old photojournalist at the abandoned Shakti Mills in Mumbai. Her male colleague, who was with her, promptly reached the N.M. Joshi Marg police station at around 8pm to report the crime. The police began work; around 2:30am that night, they visited a modest home in Kurla to find Nitin Mahadev Yadav, an art teacher known for his exceptional sketching skills. Without a moment of hesitation, the 48-year-old joined the case.

In half an hour, he was in a room with the male colleague of the photojournalist, and within three hours, he had sketched two of the suspects.