Koshy Koshy whose book on police rules guided cops across British Punjab passes away

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 19

Koshy Koshy, a retired IPS officer of Haryana cadre who passed away after a brief illness in a Faridabad hospital on Friday, was a multidimensional personality – an author, an ornithologist, a photographer, an erudite and an articulate speaker besides being a thoroughly professional police officer.

An IPS of 1973 batch, Koshy Koshy (71), who hailed from Kerala, had settled in Faridabad with his family after his retirement as Director General in Haryana Police in 2009.

He contracted Covid-19 last month and was admitted to a private hospital in Faridabad.

However, despite recovery from the virus, Koshy Koshy was again shifted to hospital for difficulty in breathing where he passed away on Friday.

His mortal remains were brought to St Mary’s Orthodox Church in Faridabad and after prayer service and guard of honour by Haryana Police, the final burial service was carried out at Christian Cemetery, Tughlakabad in Delhi.

His colleagues and those who worked under him remember Koshy Koshy as an upright officer who never hesitated to call a spade a spade.

Perhaps this was the reason he did not get a chance to head a police force and was superseded by his juniors ignoring his seniority when it came to selecting the Director General of Police (DGP).

During his service, Koshy Koshy worked with the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and also for Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD).

“He always took keen interest in police training. Though not many police officers are interested in assignments like this, But Koshy Koshy headed the Haryana Police Academy (HPA) and also worked IG (Training) for long. He believed that police training was very important for inculcating right kind of behaviour practices among cops,” said Manoj Yadava, Director General of Police, Haryana, who has worked with Koshy Koshy for long.

Yadava remembers how immaculately Koshy Koshy managed a mega event as DIG of Gurugram range of AICC session at Surajkund when the then PM PV Narasimha Rao and a plethora of dignitaries were to camp there for three days.

He loved watching birds and taking their pictures.

Koshy Koshy will also be remembered for authoring Punjab Police Rules 1934 with explanations and annotation.

The book is referred to by all police officers in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi.

Hanif Qureshi, a senior IPS officer of Haryana who is now posted as Director General of New and Renewable Energy Department, Haryana, remembers that when happened to visit Lahore (Pakistan) as an advance party for then Haryana CM Om Prakash Chautala’s visit, he was surprised to find Koshy Koshy’s book on Punjab Police Rules 1934 lying on the table of DIG, Lahore.

“When I asked him do you refer to Koshy Koshy’s book, the officer asked me with pleasant surprise whether I knew the author personally. He told me that all police officers in Pakistan’s Punjab referred to this book only for referring to any police rules,” said Qureshi.