From Mother To Officer : The Story Of Anjitha Chepyala

From being a mother of two, to successfully cracking many cases, here’s the story of DCP

Anjitha Chepyala.

Among the 15 districts in Delhi, DCP Anjitha Chepyala is responsible for the North district

of Delhi, which comprises the red fort, and marketplaces such as Chandni Chowk. In her

words 'It's a mix of the traditional as well as the modern policing units of Delhi’.

Her Journey

She is an engineering graduate from the Sreenidhi Institute Of Science And Technology

(in the stream of electronics and communications). After clearing her exams, she had a

sudden change of heart, realizing that there was more to do than engineering. She got

through the Civil Service Exam in the last attempt. She had to figure out how to do things

and learn from her mistakes until she finally did it

"No day is the same day. You start your day, not knowing what is to come."

These are the words which shape what she does everyday. From bothersome complaints to crime, the duty of police officers ranges vastly. When she was posted in Chandigarh, she led efforts in crime against women.

What drives her?

Her two daughters, who perceive her as a superhuman; her husband, who supports her in whatever it is that she does; her colleagues and staff members who believe that justice will always be given to them and they will be looked after.

"Success has a lot to do with the boundaries that you set."

According to her, success is when you complete your goals and have that internal satisfaction. When you spot a police officer fulfilling their duty, the uniform embodies authority, which most people mistake as power. Often, people think that police officers can do anything and everything, which is not the case.

"They are just doing what they are empowered to do. The way movies depict officers is not always true, however. Sometimes, for dramatic effect, they have hand combats but that is not always the truth".

The part of her job she likes the most is interacting with her staff and people, to understand their problems and come up with solutions to them.

The principle that Anjitha values the most is discipline.

"With discipline everything falls in place".

She never looks back, but instead always thinks about what to do next. To her younger self, she would say that "you are more capable than what you think you are because you don’t

realize your potential".

Written by Deetya Sripathi

Deetya wrote this article as a participant of the Media-Makers Fellowship's May'25 cohort.