Mumbai: Former Mumbai Police chief Arup Patnaik, a retired Maharashtra-cadre IPS officer, will try his luck for the second time to enter Lok Sabha from Odisha.
Patnaik (68), a 1979-IPS officer, is considered a specialist in maintaining law and order.
One of his common catchphrases were - “pehle action…baad me section”.
In the 2004 action movie Aan: Men At Work, actor Akshay Kumar essayed the role of DCP Hari Om Patnaik, which was inspired by the life of the Patnaik.
A no-nonsense and dare-devil officer, Patnaik, while in the police force, had played a key role in the investigations into the 12 March, 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case and the Harshad Mehta securities scam of the nineties.
Patnaik also oversaw the security arrangements of the 2011 World Cup finals in Mumbai which India won against Sri Lanka.
Patnaik would be the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) candidate from the prestigious seat of Puri.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Patnaik lost from Bhubaneswar to Aparajita Sarangi, a retired Orissa-cadre IAS officer.
In 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Patnaik is pitted against BJP Sambit Patra, who in the previous elections was defeated by BJD’s Pinaki Misra.
Patnaik is considered close to BJD President and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
“This is my destiny. I was born in Puri district…In a sense, it is like coming back. Most of my life was spent outside Odisha; it is a matter of satisfaction that at this ripe age, I have been called back by Lord Jagannath to do something. I am also grateful to the Chief Minister for having elected me for this Lok Sabha election,” Patnaik told reporters in his home state.
In his early days, he had served as Superintendent of Police in Latur and Jalgaon.
He served as Mumbai Police Commissioner from February 2011 to August 2012.
He retired in September 2015 in the rank of Director General of Police.
(Published 31 March 2024, 11:04 IST)
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