Rakesh Maria

In 2020, he wrote a book called "Let Me Say It Now" published by Westland publications.

He completed his graduation from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai. He chose to make the career as an IPS officer, cracking the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) exams to get an IPS cadre.

Maria felt almost defenseless against such an emotional issue. Even Maharashtra Government was initially reluctant to defend Maria, an officer with a formidable reputation, not wanting to hurt the sentiments of a martyr’s wife. He just said that the facts would absolve him.

“You don’t defend him and you don’t let him defend himself!” commented a Mumbai Crime Branch senior.

He came to Mumbai in 1986. He was the Deputy Commissioner Police (Traffic) in 1993. He was appointed the Commissioner of Mumbai Police on 15 February 2014. He retired on 31 January 2017, after putting in 36 years of distinguished service

Maria was given the responsibility of investigating the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. He interrogated Ajmal Kasab, the only terrorist captured alive, and successfully investigated the case. Kasab was executed by hanging in 2012.. He Later Also Revealed In his memoir 'Let Me Say It Now', Elaborating on the Hindu Terror conspiracy, Maria writes, 'If all had gone well he [Ajmal Kasab, the only one of the ten terrorists to be caught alive] would have been dead with a red string tied around his wrist like a Hindu. We would have found an identity card on this person with fictitious name Samir Dinesh Choudhari, student of Arunoday Degree and P.G College.' and said that it ruined the plans of Pakistan of proclaiming the Mumbai Terror Attack as a Hindu conspiracy.

Earlier in 2009 she had questioned Maria's claims that he did not direct Ashok Kamte to the Cama Hospital where he died. Rakesh Maria had been in charge of the police control room at the time of the carnage in November 2008.

Maria cracked the 2003 Gateway of India and Zaveri Bazaar twin blasts case, arresting six persons, including a couple for planting the explosive devices inside taxis. The investigation was proved successful when the arrestees Ashrat Ansari, Haneef Sayyed and his wife Fahmeeda were convicted and sentenced to death in August 2009 by a special POTA court in Mumbai. Later, the death sentence was upheld by Bombay High Court in February 2012.

Incidentally, as was told by him in an interview, Retd. Air Chief Marshal Pratap Chandra Lal was on his interview panel for IPS. He recalled therein the Khalistan movement and the 1993 Bombay bombings.

As the Deputy Commissioner Police (Traffic) in 1993, he cracked the Bombay serial blasts case, and later moved to DCP (Crime) and then Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) of the Mumbai Police.

He belongs to the 1981 batch of the Indian Police Service. His first posting was as assistant superintendent of police in Akola, and then Buldhana, in the interiors of Maharashtra.

He is married to Preeti and the couple have two sons, Kunal and Krish. Maria hails from a film family which owns their own production house Kala Niketan. Maria had also represented his state Maharashtra in Karate at the National Games in 1979. Rakesh and Preeti were in St. Xavier’s together. He was a class ahead but they shared a common bond of love for sports; her strongest memories of him are from the basketball court training, playing matches, winning.

Rakesh Maria, IPS (born 19 January 1957) is a former Indian Police Officer. He last served as the Director General of Home Guards. Before that he served as the Police Commissioner of Mumbai.

In an interview to Indian magazine Verve, he clarified on misconception about use of third degree interrogation by saying, "Thanks largely to what the film industry portrays, everyone thinks that third degree is the only way interrogations take place. This is absolutely off the mark. Just beating and torture does not get you answers or answers that will stand up. The terrorist today is completely indoctrinated. One needs to understand his or her psychology, break his or her mind to get information from him or her. Apart from this there are lawyers, courts, NGOs and strict laws in place. So, the general perception that a criminal breaks down after a beating, is not true. We use a lot of mental games when we interrogate the accused. I often step in and do it myself. Ajmal Kasab was interrogated by me for the first time on the 27th at around four or five a.m."