Journalist Anirudhya Mitra stepped into Prashant Kumar’s room for their initial chat, bracing himself for someone loud; maybe even arrogant—the kind linked to UP’s shootout stories.
Instead, out came a quiet guy in neat white clothes who grinned a little and offered: “You go first.”
This brief exchange—simple, surprising, slightly reserved—becomes the core of The Enforcer: An IPS Officer’s War on Crime in India’s Badlands, a story trying to grasp the person beneath one of India’s most-debated police chapters.
The man after the machine
In the tense fields of Jaunpur and the shadowy lanes of Ghaziabad run by gangs, Prashant Kumar’s first assignments felt like battlefield reports.
Through these rough patches of Uttar Pradesh, Mitra follows the cop’s path, where grit met careful tactics. Kumar's name grew not in a flash, but steady pressure and sharp moves on the ground. Cases like Nitish Katara's killing come up often, because they not only made headlines, but also revealed how Kumar worked—chasing leads non-stop, locating witnesses others missed, and demanding solid proof, despite powerful figures being involved.
Still, it wasn't just tough breaks and big wins. Kumar missed moments with his family: time he couldn’t get back.
His wife, an IAS officer, along with their daughter, dealt with constant moves, late-night calls, and risks that came with the job. Since she was posted in UP, he ended up there too. That twist set him on a path not only as a civil servant, but also as a key player in cracking down on crime across the state.
The mission: Dismantling UP’s crime ecosystem
Once Yogi Adityanath’s team took charge in 2017, their goal was clear—crack down on criminal groups, illegal rackets, and strong-arm operations to make Uttar Pradesh safer.
Kumar led the push from the front. His story covers big raids, shootouts by cops, and the confiscation of assets running into billions, all while chasing powerful figures who treated entire areas as their own private empires.
Instead of moving into the lavish DGP bungalow, Kumar stayed in a small house paid for by himself.
“You lose your grip,” he remarked quietly, typical of his low-key way.
'The Enforcer' manages to pull off a raw, close-up story about a guy right in the middle of one of India’s biggest police operations. It shows his side—real and flawed, but not a flawless hero.
A compelling, contested book
Those into crime tales, power plays, cops, or modern UP life will find this book gripping. It’s fast-paced, complex stuff, told with sharp edges. A story that pulls no punches when showing how things really run behind the scenes.
It’s part homage, yet kind of a challenge, as it shows how crime and fairness in India aren’t clear-cut.
The tale lives in the blur, just like Prashant Kumar does, moulded by force, responsibility, and influence, but also an inner voice.
Title: The Enforcer: An IPS Officer’s War on Crime in India’s Badlands
Written by: Anirudhya Mitra
Price: Rs 699
Published by: Juggernaut