Rakesh Maria is the former Mumbai Police Commissioner. He is one of the most successful policemen; as he has solved some of the most high-profile cases in India.
Wiki/Biography
Rakesh Maria was born on Saturday, January 19, 1957 in Bandra, Mumbai (age 63 years 2020). His zodiac sign is Capricorn. He received his primary education from St. Andrew’s High School, Bombay. After completing his studies, he went to St. Xavier’s College in Bombay. Ever since he was a boy, he wanted to join the uniformed services. When Maria submitted her civil service application, he filled in IPS in all the fields that asked the applicant which service he preferred.
appearance
Height (approximately): 6′2″
Eye color: black
Hair Color: Salt and Pepper
family, caste and wife
Rakesh Maria belongs to a Punjabi family belonging to the Gond caste (original tribal group). His father Vijay Madia owns a film production company Kala Niketan, which produced super hit films like “Neel Kamal”, “Kaajal”, “Preetam” and others. He came to Mumbai from Punjab to become an actor. Rakesh Maria married Preeti in 1985. They met in college (St Xavier’s College, Mumbai). They had two sons, Kunal (elder; advocate) and Krish.
Rakesh Maria with wife Preeti and sons Kunal and Krish
Profession
Rakesh Maria is a 1981-batch IPS officer from Maharashtra cadre. His first posting was as Assistant Director, Akola, Maharashtra. In 1986, he was posted in Mumbai. In 1993, Maria was promoted to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic). When he was appointed as DCP Traffic, there were serial bombings in Mumbai in 1993. A day after the explosion, two sub-inspectors of the Mumbai Police found an abandoned van in Worli and Maria rushed to the spot, found a bomb inside the vehicle and dispersed it. He then tracked the van back to Tiger Memon and headed to his apartment in Mahim. This led to police discovering another bomb, which had been planted inside a scooter. He cracked the case and ultimately filed a strong case against the defendants.
During his tenure as DCP, Transport Department, he built a strong network of resources among the underworld and Mumbai’s elite. In 2003, two explosions occurred in Mumbai. Maria interrogates the taxi driver whose bomb took off. The driver provided information about the couple who planted a bomb in his car. The couple were arrested within four days. It is understood that his interrogation style is very unique, using psychological techniques to get the defendant to confess. 
When the 26/11 attacks occurred in Mumbai, Ajmal Kasab was the only surviving terrorist captured by the Mumbai police. Maria was the first police officer to question him. After Maria interrogated Kasab, he reportedly provided them with information about his plans, his team and his superiors in Pakistan. Kassab was later hanged in 2012. After 26/11, he was appointed as the captain of the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). In 2010, he solved the case of a German bakery bombing. 
Throughout his career, he was credited with solving high-profile cases and breaking mafia strongholds in and around Mumbai. In 2012, while handling the Sheena Bora murder case, he was suddenly promoted to the post of Director of Home Guards and transferred. On February 31, 2017, Rakesh Maria retired after 36 years of service.
dispute
- In 2003, Maria made a controversial statement during a sting operation by a media company and named a number of cricketers in relation to the cricket betting scandal.
- When a false terror alert at a place of worship in Mumbai originates from Maria’s email account, Rakesh Maria is transferred to work under the radar in the civil rights department.
- A year after the 26/11 attacks, Vinita Kamte, wife of slain Assistant Commissioner Ashok Kamte, has published a book on the December 1, 2009 attacks book “The Last Bullet”. She accused Maria of not handling her control room duties properly and of manhandling the security response in 2011-26.
Favorites
Cuisine: Thai
Dishes: Fried Mackerel (Fish)
Actor: Amitabh Bachchan
Movie: Zanjeer (1973)
Singer: Mehdi Hassan, Ghulam Ali
Book: The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth, Sherlock Holmes
fact
- His real surname was Madia, but due to the Marathi accent, it was distorted to Maria.
- In college, Maria was a basketball champion and also participated in martial arts. He plays basketball for the Mumbai State Police.
Rakesh Maria plays basketball
- In 1979, Maria participated in the National Games and represented Maharashtra in karate competitions.
- He is also famous for getting Sanjay Dutt to admit his underworld connections.
Sanjay Dutt arrested in connection with 1993 blasts
- At one point, he said in an interview that he regretted being in the control room rather than on site when the 26/11 attacks occurred.
- Rakesh Maria regularly plays in the Mumbai Police’s state football team.
Rakesh Maria plays football
- He is the only IPS officer who has served as Deputy Commissioner, Additional Commissioner, Joint Commissioner and Commissioner, Crime Branch.
- Usually, when there was violence or public unrest on the streets of Mumbai, he used to go to the scene of the violence himself. Many times, he was not in uniform, but he would often walk to the scene of violence with a handful of laths, and within minutes the streets would be clear.
Rakesh Maria on the streets of Mumbai
- In 2013, Nana Patekar played the role of Rakesh Maria in the film 26/11.
Nana Patekar as Rakesh Maria
- After his retirement, he announced that he would write a book about the most important cases of his career and provide insight into some of what happened during them.
- On August 6, 2018, Bollywood director Meghna Gulzar announced that she will direct a web series on the life and career of Rakesh Maria.
Rakesh Maria with film director Meghna Gulzar
- In February 2020, Maria wrote in her explosive memoir Let Me Say Now that Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) planned to describe the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks as “Hindu terror”. He wrote in the book——
If all goes well, he will die like a Hindu with a red string tied around his wrist. We would find an identity card on him bearing a fictitious name: Samir Dinesh Chaudhari, student of Arunodaya Degree and PG College… Bangalore… There would be screaming headlines in newspapers claiming how Hindu terrorists had attacked Mumbai. Top TV journalists would make a beeline to Bengaluru to interview his family and neighbours. But alas, that was not the case, and he was Ajmal Aamir Kasab from Faridkot, Pakistan. ”
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education