By Ritu Sharma, IANS
New Delhi : She switched careers to become a cop – that too after marriage – and went on to unearth the sensational kidney racket on the outskirts of the capital. But Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Manzil Saini says the family support she got in order to be successful is lacking in the case of most Indian women.
“I have been able to succeed as my father never compromised with my studies. But the same is not true for a majority of women in the country. And this thinking needs to be changed,” Saini told IANS.
A science graduate and a gold medallist from the Delhi School of Economics, the daughter of a cop had worked with private firms for nearly three years before joining the elite Indian Police Service (IPS).
Defying the cliché that a woman’s career comes to an end after marriage, Saini made the transition from a marketing executive to a cop trailing criminals after marrying into a business family.
“Initially my family was sceptical about whether I would be able to cope up with the pressures of the job, but seeing my dedication they supported me completely,” Saini told IANS.
“After my marriage and becoming a mother, I started preparing for civil services and succeeded in getting through in the first attempt. Whenever I studied I gave my 100 percent so that I could spend quality time with my child,” she said.
Saini, an IPS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, was the only married woman with a kid among eight other women in the 2005 batch.
“I sort of surprised everybody by becoming the best athlete in my batch,” she quipped.
Saini got her first posting as ASP, Moradabad, after two years of training. Her stint with fame came when she unearthed the high-profile kidney racket in the first six months of her service following a labourer’s complaint.
Subsequent to the revelation, she was all over the national and international media giving briefs of developments in the case.
“It was like any other complaint from a small time labourer about the removal of his kidney two years ago. We were not aware that we were trailing a well-ensconced racket.
“When we conducted searches at places in Meerut and Gurgaon, the skeletons in the cupboard came tumbling out and with the arrest of (kingpin) Amit Kumar’s aide Upendra Kumar everything fell into perspective.”
She smoothly juggles her profession and family. From late night patrolling in her area to attending the parent-teacher meetings of her children, she manages it all.
Being from the fairer sex, 32-year-old Saini has had to prove her prowess to handle tough cases time and again.
“Many a time, being a woman, I have been asked by my seniors to go for soft tasks so that I can spend time with my family. But my current senior superintendent of police supported me during the probe of the kidney racket. So it differs from person to person,” she said.
According to her, Indian society’s view on women impedes their progress.
“During the ‘mohalla’ (colony) meetings, women never turn up despite my repeated requests. It is very hard to get them out of their houses to voice their concerns to police,” she said.
(Ritu Sharma can be contacted at [email protected])