Oral History | Ranjit Pradhan - The first police officer of Sikkim

Описание: 78 year old Ranjit K. Pradhan was appointed as Deputy Commissioner of Police through competitive examination and sent for training along with IPS Probationers in July 1971.

After completion of the training in the Police Academy in the Mount Abu he was sent for training at Maradabad, Lucknow and Nainital District in Uttar Pradesh till September 1973.

Thereafter, Mr. Pradhan was posted as Divisional Police Officer in charge of South and West District and remained posted at Gyalshing during the popular upheaved in Sikkim which ultimately resulted in the merger of Sikkim into the Indian Union in 1975.

Subsequently, he held a number of posts as Deputy Commissioner of Police, Reserve lines, checkposts, Headquarters, CID and Superintendent of Police in the District.

In 1978 Mr. Pradhan was inducted in the IPS during initial Constitution. He was promoted to the rank of DIG in May 1989 and was posted as Deputy Inspector General of Police, West and South Range then East and North Range and thereafter DIG Range incharge of all the four district’s of Sikkim.

In January 1995 Mr. Pradhan was promoted to the rank of inspector General of Police, incharge of Sikkim Armed Police and Training and was entrusted with the additional charge of State Reserve Line, Sports, Welfare, India Reserve Battalion and Central Military Forces which je continue to hold with distinction till date.

During his long tenure with Sikkim Police, Mr. Pradhan has held a sensitive and difficult assignments and has been commended a number of time for performing VIP duties, maintenance of law and order, supervision of important and sensitive inquiries and drafting Police Station Reports etc.

He was also nominated as the Organising secretary of the All India Police Football Tournament held in Sikkim during September-October 1995 and performed a commendable feat in the biggest ever championship held in the country for the police force.

In June 1994,Mr.Pradhan was Commended by the State Government for his performance during the sudden turn of events in Sikkim for maintaining peace and preventing disruption of communal harmony. He was also complemented by the Director General of police for making excellent law and order arrangements for the Assembly Elections held in November 1994.

He was awarded the president’s Police Medal for Meritorious service on the occasion of the Independence Day in 1996.

He retired as ADGP in 2002 and served as Chairman of Sikkim Public Service Commission for two years.