Last officer of 1st IPS batch turns 100, ex DGP Joshi recalls life in Chambal

BHOPAL: "Constable Atmaram fired from the LMG when dacoit Chota Nathu raised his SLR." The man recalling this moment from a gunfight in the Chambal ravines is 100 years old.

Former Madhya Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Harivallabh Mohanlal Joshi does not hesitate over the name. Not over the weapon. Not over the year — 1969. The terrain. The coordination gap between Bhind and Morena. The informer's motive. The 17 men who fell with Jagmohan Tomar.


On March 5, Joshi turns 100 — believed to be the last surviving officer of India's first Indian Police Service batch of 1948, the inaugural group of 39 officers who formally replaced the colonial-era Imperial Police.

Nearly eight decades after taking oath in independent India's first IPS cohort, he remains steady on his feet, sharp in recall, and startlingly precise in memory. At his residence, he walks with little support and does not require assistance to feed himself. A small whistle hangs around his neck — used occasionally to call someone in the house — but his voice carries the authority of a man who once commanded battalions across the ravines.

"I joined Gwalior as DIG on May 13, 1969. My predecessor had some unsuccessful operations against the Jagmohan gang. I was concerned about the reason," Joshi told TOI. "Then I met an informer who wanted Jagmohan eliminated because he had molested his sister. I took him into confidence and asked why the previous operations had failed."

The answer exposed a flaw that dacoits exploited. "They were taking advantage of the lack of coordination between the SPs of Bhind and Morena. When operations intensified in Bhind, they would sneak into Morena and lie low. When action was taken in Morena, they moved back to Bhind."

Joshi closed that gap. "I called for coordinated action, taking both SPs into confidence. The result was elimination of 17 dacoits, including Jagmohan."

As DIG of Gwalior Range — comprising seven districts severely affected by banditry — Joshi launched sustained anti-dacoity campaigns. He strengthened Special Armed Force units by sanctioning LMGs at section level, introduced 2-inch mortars, SLRs and sniper rifles, improved mobility with cross-country troop carriers, intensified night firing and ambush drills, expanded informer networks and ensured detailed debriefings after every operation. Sahariya tribals were recruited for their knowledge of the ravines, and village defence committees were strengthened.

He personally led the operation against Chota Nathu and was awarded the President's Police and Fire Services Medal for gallantry, in addition to the Police Medal for Meritorious Service. During three intense years, more than 300 dacoits were eliminated, over 500 arrested and many surrendered.

Yet Joshi insists the greater achievement was surrender. Sustained pressure and outreach culminated in the 1972 surrender of more than 300 dacoits before Jayaprakash Narayan in Jaura. He instructed against false encounters, advocated humane treatment for those willing to lay down arms, and pushed development initiatives in the Chambal belt. He later played a role in framing the MPDVPK Act, 1981, targeting harbourers of dacoits.

He laughs when recalling another episode. "Hundreds of gallantry medals recommended by the state for MP Police were lying in the national capital," he said. "I went to the then secretary to home, Rustamji, and told him that the delay in awarding the medals was demoralising the policemen. It was then that he informed me about a President's medal that was kept for me too."

Born on March 5, 1926, in Ralawata village of the erstwhile princely state of Kishangarh in Rajasthan, Joshi completed his BA from Akola, pursued studies at Allahabad University and earned his MA in English from Morris College, Nagpur, in 1948. He worked with Lokmat and the monthly magazine Krishak during his student years and briefly served as a lecturer before joining the IPS.

He was among the 39 officers of the first IPS batch in 1948 — the cohort that replaced the Imperial Police and laid the foundations of modern Indian policing. His career extended to counter-insurgency assignments in Nagaland and Manipur, command of MP Police battalions in Jammu & Kashmir, and leadership roles culminating in his retirement as DGP, Madhya Pradesh, in March 1984.

Later, he introduced reforms ensuring minimum three promotions for subordinates, weekly public interaction sessions, upgraded police stations, improved traffic constable uniforms and strengthened welfare measures for personnel and their families.

Beyond uniform, he authored "Geeta Chintan," a commentary on the Bhagavad Gita, and translated lectures of Swami Vivekananda at the Police Academy in Mount Abu, published as "Mahapurushon ki Jeevan Gathaye."