Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1947 Shimla,Himachal Pradesh, India |
| Died | 26 August 2019 Mumbai,Maharashtra, India |
| Alma mater | Delhi University |
| Occupation | IPS Officer (1973–2007) |
| Spouse | Dev Bhattacharya |
| Children | 2 |
Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya (c. 1947 - 26 August 2019) was the second woman officer inIndian Police Service (IPS) in India, the first beingKiran Bedi.[1] A 1973 batch IPS officer, she was the first woman to becomeDirector General of Police of a state and retired on 31 October 2007 after 33 years of service.[2][3] She then turned to politics and ran as a candidate ofAam Aadmi Party fromHaridwar,Uttarakhand in the2014 Indian general election.[4]
Chaudhary was born inHimachal and lived inAmritsar andDelhi. She was the first child of Madan Mohan Chaudhary.[5] Chaudhary attended the Government College for Women,Amritsar.[6] Later, Kanchan completed herMaster of Arts (MA) inEnglish Literature fromIndraprastha College,Delhi University, followed by aMaster of Business Administration (MBA) degree from theUniversity of Wollongong,New South Wales,Australia in 1993.[7][8]
In an interview in 2014, Kanchan explains that she was inspired to become a police officer after her father was caught up in a property matter and was attacked; at that time police officers were not ready to register a case against the attackers. So when she cleared theCivil Services exams, it was clear to her that she would join the Indian Police Services as a path to serving justice.[9][10]
Chaudhary's career in the Indian Police Services spanned 33 years.[11] She was the second woman (afterKiran Bedi) to become anIPS officer.[12] In her batch she was the only female trainee.[9] She was the first woman to be an IPS officer inUttar Pradesh and was the first woman appointed Deputy Inspector General of Police inBareilly,Uttar Pradesh. She was then promoted to be the first womanInspector General of theUttar Pradesh Police. She was the first woman to serve as theAdditional Director General of Police inUttaranchal and then was the first woman promoted to be the Director General of Police in the state.[13]
Cases that Chaudhary handled in her career included the murder of seven-time national badminton championSyed Modi in 1987 and theReliance-Bombay Dyeing case in 1989. During her time asAssistant Superintendent of Police,Malihabad, Uttar Pradesh, she tracked down 13dacoits in a single year.[14] She also investigated severalwhite collar crimes in banks and public sectors.[13]
Chaudhary was selected to represent India at the 2004 Interpol meeting inCancún,Mexico.[15] She hosted the 2nd Women in Police Conference on 27 July 2005 inMussoorie, where the President of India,APJ Abdul Kalam, was the chief guest.[16][17] Chaudhary presented on the issues relating to the recruitment, training and continuing of women in police in India at the DGP's Annual Conference and to the Training Heads from across the country on behalf of theBureau of Police Research and Development.[18]
Chaudhary's other interests included writing poetry and participating in dramatics. She also made a guest appearance on the TV seriesUdaan, which was inspired by her life story. The series was written and directed by her sisterKavita Chaudhary.[1][12][19]
On 26 August 2019, Bhattacharya died at a hospital inMumbai where she had been receiving care during the previous five to six months. Her body was cremated at the Worli crematorium in Mumbai.[20] She was survived by her husband and two daughters. Uttarakhand Police Director General Law and OrderAshok Kumar[21] paid tribute to Bhattacharya stating, "She was a simple and sweet-natured person who gave us a free hand while we worked under her when she was the DGP." An official tribute event was held at the department's headquarters on August 27.[22]