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Law and order authorities are the soul of the nation. No wonder Indian Muslims showed their robust presence in the Indian Police Service and held important positions, be it in police, para-military forces, or the Intelligence agencies. Below is a list of ten Muslim Police leaders of India:

Syed Asif Ibrahim

He served as the first Muslim director of the Intelligence Bureau, India's main internal intelligence agency, from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2014. He is a 1977 batch IPS officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre presently serving as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s special envoy on countering terrorism and extremism in the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS). He has famously wiped out the gang of dreaded dacoit Malkhan Singh in the eighties.

He has also played a key role in a police operation that led to the capture of Pakistani terrorist Omar Sheikh in 1994. Ibrahim played a pivotal role in the 2013 IB surveillance operation that managed to nab Yasin Bhatkal, co-founder of the terror group Indian Mujahideen (IM).

Nuzhat Hassan

Nuzhat Hassan, a 1991 batch AGMUT cadre officer, is the first Muslim woman officer to join the Indian Police Service. She is the Special Commissioner of Delhi Police. She has served as the Director General of Police of Andaman and Nicobar Islands till 2018.

Her leadership skills, sensitivity and decision-making ability make her a source of inspiration for women officers.

Najmul Hoda

Najmul Hoda is a 2001 batch IPS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre. Originally from Bihar, he was educated at the Aligarh Muslim University and the Jawaharlal Nehru University. He currently holds the position of the IGP, Chief Vigilance, Tamil Nadu. 

Hoda rose to fame by speaking up at a US event about Indian nationalism and Muslims. He urged Muslims to shun the false binary between ‘belief and belonging’, and urged them to revive their ‘cultural roots’ in India. His views came under criticism from the Muslim right wing groups and leaders.

Abdur Rehman

Abdur Rahman, a former Indian Police Service officer of the Maharashtra Police, resigned in 2019 in protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act.  He hails from Paravoor, Kolam, Kerala; studied at IIT and served for 21 years in the Police. As the Superintendent of Police (SP) in Dhule, he conducted strategic anti-dacoity operations along major national highways. While serving as the Principal of the Police Training School in Solapur, he implemented strong measures to develop a skilled and disciplined police force.

He was appointed as Special Inspector General for the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission. He is also an author of books “Absent in Politics and Power” and "Denial and Deprivation Indian Muslims After the Sachar Committee and Rangnath Mishra Commission Reports"

S. I. S. Ahmed

SIS Ahmed is an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer who has served in various high-ranking positions, including Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). He also held an additional charge as DG, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).

He served as Director General of CRPF, CISF, BSF, and SPG (Special Protection Group). After retirement, he has been working as a Director at GMR Group and an Aviation Security Specialist.

Yamin Hazarika

Yamin Hazarika was a 1977 officer of the NCT of Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu, and Dadra Nagar Haveli Police Service (DANIPS) batch. She served as DCP, Delhi Police, when she passed away in 1999 at the young age of 43. She was one of the first few female police leaders in the country. She is regarded as Assam’s first woman police officer and a trailblazer, who not only inspired other women to stamp their authority in traditionally male-dominated professions like the police but also had the conviction to live life on her terms.

Besides fulfilling her responsibilities as a senior police officer with the Delhi Police for nearly two decades, she also raised two children—Huma and Vikram—as a single parent, until her untimely death on July 24, 1999, due to cancer.

Javeed Ahmad

Javeed Ahmad is a 1984 batch former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre who rose to become Director General of Police. He received the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service on 15 August 2008, the Police Medal for Meritorious Services on 26 January 2000, and the 50th Independence Anniversary Medal on 15 August 1997. He hails from Patna. During his service, Javeed Ahmad was a pioneer in modernizing and humanizing the police force

Hanif Qureshi

Hanif Qureshi is an Indian Police Service officer with experience in policing, comprising criminal investigations, traffic management, intelligence operations, police training, and handling law and order situations. Inspector General of Police, Law and Order, Haryana

He has been the Senior Superintendent of Police of eight districts and IGP of two police ranges in Haryana, apart from being the Commissioner of Police, Faridabad.

As the Chief Executive Officer of Haryana Wakf Board, he established the Mewat Engineering College at Nuh, Haryana.  Qureshi completed his MBA and Ph.D. (Criminal Justice) from the University of Cincinnati, USA. He is a TEDx speaker and an active scholar whose articles have appeared in the Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, the International Journal of Police Science & Management, The Police Journal, and other American, Indian, and international journals/books. He has authored a book on police martyrs.

Akil Mohammad

A 1989 batch IPS officer of the Haryana cadre, Akil Mohammad, is presently Director General of the Home Guard. He has held several key positions in the Haryana Police and is known for his administrative experience and operational acumen.

M A Saleem

M.A. Saleem is an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer who is serving as Director General and Inspector General of Police (DGP) of Karnataka. He is from the 1993 batch of IPS officers in the Karnataka cadre. He was previously the Director General of CID (Criminal Investigation Department).

He has also served as the Commissioner of Traffic in Bangalore, earning the nickname "one-way Saleem" for his traffic management efforts.

READ MORE: 10 top Muslim bureaucrats of post-Independence India

A seasoned officer, Saleem was known for his strong administrative skills and previously served in various key positions across the state, including as Bengaluru City’s Special Police Commissioner.