Former JK Vigilance Commr Raju passes away
Omar, Vohra, Farooq, Rajendra Condole Demise
PTI/IANS/GKNN
Kochi, June 21: Radha Vinod Raju, the first chief of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and one of India’s finest police officers, died here early Thursday due to lung complications, a doctor said.
A highly respected Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from the Jammu and Kashmir cadre, Raju passed away around 3.40 am at the Lake Shore Hospital, medical oncologist VP Gangadharan told IANS. He was suffering from leukemia.
The 62-year-old is survived by his wife Achamma and two daughters, Renu and Sindhu. Besides his mother tongue Konkani, he spoke English, Hindi, Urdu, Tamil and Malayalam.
Raju, who also served with distinction in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), headed the operational wing of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to track down the killers of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991.
Raju earned his first laurels as a CBI officer in Kerala in 1983-89 when he solved some dragging corruption and murder cases.
He was posted in the Kashmir Valley when militancy erupted. After his stint in the CBI, he returned to Jammu and Kashmir before finally heading the NIA.
Over the years, Raju was recognized widely as an expert on terrorism and counter insurgency and as an authority on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). He was an active member of India’s strategic community.
Born July 27, 1949, Raju worked with a bank - where he met his future wife - before joining the IPS in 1975.
Raju served as the senior superintendent of police of Jammu district, as deputy inspector general in South Kashmir Range and as inspector general in Jammu.
At the SIT, he headed the team that proved beyond doubt the involvement of the LTTE in the conspiracy to kill Gandhi at an election rally near Chennai in May 1991.
It was Raju who signed the Indian government orders seeking from Sri Lanka the extradition of the now dead LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran.
SIT chief DR Karthikeyan and Raju were the joint authors of “Triumph of Justice - The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination - The Investigation”, a book which meticulously details how they cracked the Gandhi case.
After serving the SIT for years, he was posted as inspector general of police in Jammu and Kashmir in 1998.
He had another stint with the CBI later and became in 2002 its joint director.
Before being appointed as NIA Chief, Raju was the Director General (Vigilance) of Jammu and Kashmir.
After retirement, he took an active role in addressing members of the strategic community and think-tanks on issues related to terrorism and security. He also wrote extensively on security issues.
Only last month, the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) inducted him into its board to assist the CBI in cases of fraud.
DEATH WIDELY CONDOLEDUnion Home Minister P Chidambaram expressed grief over the death of Raju and also conveyed condolences to his son-in-law.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also condoled the death and said Raju was a fine officer who led a principled life during his unblemished meritorious career.
Union Minister for Renewable Energy and National Conference President Dr Farooq Abdullah expressed grief over the demise of Raju.
He said it’s a great loss and expressed his heartfelt condolences to the family members and prayed for his eternal peace.
Additional Director General of Police Security Ram Lubhaya has been deputed to attend the funeral of Raju at Kochi.
State Governor N N Vohra also condoled the death of Raju and conveyed his sympathy to members of the bereaved family.
Condolence meetings were held at various police establishments in Jammu and Kashmir where his services were recalled by speakers.
Recalling his role, Director General of state police K Rajendra Kumar said Raju was an able police officer who always acted as a guiding light to his juniors.
Inspector General of Police Sheikh Owais remembered Raju as an ace investigator and one who always seemed to be in a hurry to help the needy.
A condolence meeting was held at SSG headquarters in Srinagar in remembrance of Raju.
Director SSG, HK Lohia termed the sad demise of Raju as a great loss of professionalism, simplicity and caring nature.
Khwaja Bashir Ahmad, a retired senior bureaucrat, credited Raju with streamlining the state’s anti-corruption organization.
Naeem Akhtar, a former bureaucrat, watched Raju’s career groom from a probationer to a commander.
“He was a human being of exceptional qualities. I lived with him in the same apartment for over two years. Though professionally very competent, he could never cast himself into the steel jacket that usually happens to police officers.”
Peer Ghulam Hassan Shah, the first director general of Jammu and Kashmir Police, expressed shock over Raju’s demise.
MINISTER OF STATE FOR HOME, NASIR ASLAM WANI HAS EXPRESSED GRIEF ON THE SAD DEMISE OF RAJU.
DESCRIBING HIM A PROFESSIONAL POLICE OFFICER, NASIR SAID THAT HIS CONTRIBUTION AS A POLICE OFFICER WOULD BE THE BEACON LIGHT FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OF THE J&K STATE.
POLITICAL ADVISOR TO THE CHIEF MINISTER DEVENDER SINGH RANA HAS EXPRESSED HIS GRIEF AND SORROW ON THE SAD DEMISE OF R.V RAJU.
RANA CONVEYED HIS HEARTFELT CONDOLENCES TO MRS RAJU AND THE FAMILY.
A highly respected Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from the Jammu and Kashmir cadre, Raju passed away around 3.40 am at the Lake Shore Hospital, medical oncologist VP Gangadharan told IANS. He was suffering from leukemia.
The 62-year-old is survived by his wife Achamma and two daughters, Renu and Sindhu. Besides his mother tongue Konkani, he spoke English, Hindi, Urdu, Tamil and Malayalam.
Raju, who also served with distinction in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), headed the operational wing of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to track down the killers of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991.
Raju earned his first laurels as a CBI officer in Kerala in 1983-89 when he solved some dragging corruption and murder cases.
He was posted in the Kashmir Valley when militancy erupted. After his stint in the CBI, he returned to Jammu and Kashmir before finally heading the NIA.
Over the years, Raju was recognized widely as an expert on terrorism and counter insurgency and as an authority on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). He was an active member of India’s strategic community.
Born July 27, 1949, Raju worked with a bank - where he met his future wife - before joining the IPS in 1975.
Raju served as the senior superintendent of police of Jammu district, as deputy inspector general in South Kashmir Range and as inspector general in Jammu.
At the SIT, he headed the team that proved beyond doubt the involvement of the LTTE in the conspiracy to kill Gandhi at an election rally near Chennai in May 1991.
It was Raju who signed the Indian government orders seeking from Sri Lanka the extradition of the now dead LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran.
SIT chief DR Karthikeyan and Raju were the joint authors of “Triumph of Justice - The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination - The Investigation”, a book which meticulously details how they cracked the Gandhi case.
After serving the SIT for years, he was posted as inspector general of police in Jammu and Kashmir in 1998.
He had another stint with the CBI later and became in 2002 its joint director.
Before being appointed as NIA Chief, Raju was the Director General (Vigilance) of Jammu and Kashmir.
After retirement, he took an active role in addressing members of the strategic community and think-tanks on issues related to terrorism and security. He also wrote extensively on security issues.
Only last month, the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) inducted him into its board to assist the CBI in cases of fraud.
DEATH WIDELY CONDOLEDUnion Home Minister P Chidambaram expressed grief over the death of Raju and also conveyed condolences to his son-in-law.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also condoled the death and said Raju was a fine officer who led a principled life during his unblemished meritorious career.
Union Minister for Renewable Energy and National Conference President Dr Farooq Abdullah expressed grief over the demise of Raju.
He said it’s a great loss and expressed his heartfelt condolences to the family members and prayed for his eternal peace.
Additional Director General of Police Security Ram Lubhaya has been deputed to attend the funeral of Raju at Kochi.
State Governor N N Vohra also condoled the death of Raju and conveyed his sympathy to members of the bereaved family.
Condolence meetings were held at various police establishments in Jammu and Kashmir where his services were recalled by speakers.
Recalling his role, Director General of state police K Rajendra Kumar said Raju was an able police officer who always acted as a guiding light to his juniors.
Inspector General of Police Sheikh Owais remembered Raju as an ace investigator and one who always seemed to be in a hurry to help the needy.
A condolence meeting was held at SSG headquarters in Srinagar in remembrance of Raju.
Director SSG, HK Lohia termed the sad demise of Raju as a great loss of professionalism, simplicity and caring nature.
Khwaja Bashir Ahmad, a retired senior bureaucrat, credited Raju with streamlining the state’s anti-corruption organization.
Naeem Akhtar, a former bureaucrat, watched Raju’s career groom from a probationer to a commander.
“He was a human being of exceptional qualities. I lived with him in the same apartment for over two years. Though professionally very competent, he could never cast himself into the steel jacket that usually happens to police officers.”
Peer Ghulam Hassan Shah, the first director general of Jammu and Kashmir Police, expressed shock over Raju’s demise.
MINISTER OF STATE FOR HOME, NASIR ASLAM WANI HAS EXPRESSED GRIEF ON THE SAD DEMISE OF RAJU.
DESCRIBING HIM A PROFESSIONAL POLICE OFFICER, NASIR SAID THAT HIS CONTRIBUTION AS A POLICE OFFICER WOULD BE THE BEACON LIGHT FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OF THE J&K STATE.
POLITICAL ADVISOR TO THE CHIEF MINISTER DEVENDER SINGH RANA HAS EXPRESSED HIS GRIEF AND SORROW ON THE SAD DEMISE OF R.V RAJU.
RANA CONVEYED HIS HEARTFELT CONDOLENCES TO MRS RAJU AND THE FAMILY.
Greater Kashmir
