Prabhat Chandra Tripathy. Telegraph picture

Berhampur, Feb. 11:Prabhat Chandra Tripathy, a crime inspector, is a police officer with a difference. He is the first non-gazetted police officer in the entire country who has been awarded a PhD degree in criminal law. Despite recognition in the entire country and abroad, Tripathy, however, is yet to be found eligible to teach the in-service police officers at Biju Patnaik Police Academy Bhubaneswar or the Police Training School at Angul.

The 57-year-old officer, who was awarded a PhD by Berhampur University in 1997, has been pursuing research in criminal law. Several of his research articles have been published in various international and national journals.

Tripathy, who is going to retire from service on June 30 this year, however, laments not being recognised by his own department. “After four months, I will retire from service. But I feel sad that though I am recognised now in the whole of the country and even abroad there was no recognition from my parent department,” Tripathy rued.

Tripathy, who was a topper in the LLM examinations with a record 68 per cent in 1992, happens to be the first non-gazetted police officer in the entire country who has been awarded a PhD degree in criminal law.

He is the author of about 20 research-oriented legal articles published in national and international law journals including Crime of Vinod Publications, New Delhi, Criminal Law Journal, All India Reporter, Socio-Legal Journal of India, Indian Journal of Criminology and others covering every aspect of crime — ranging from crime against women, dowry, white collared crimes, crime of obscenity to environment pollution, road accidents, criminalisation of politics, role of anti-corruption agency, social justice, child labour, drug abuse, human rights and problems of the police.

He has also authoured three books — a guidebook about road regulations and traffic awareness about road accidents, Crimes against Working Women and Contemporary Social Problems and the Law. These books have now been introduced as reference books in the post-graduate departments of sociology, Law and human rights in six universities of India including Guru Nanak Indraprastha University, Pondichery University, Solapur University, Bhopal University, Delhi University and Bharatula Viswabidyalaya.

Two of his books — Crimes against Working Women and Contemporary Social Problems and the Law — are even being sold in Australia, the United States of America, England, China and other countries. But he is yet to be found eligible to teach the in-service police officers at Biju Patnaik Police Academy Bhubaneswar or Police Training School at Angul.

Tripathy, who joined police service as a writer constable in 1971 at the age of 18, was awarded PhD when he was an assistant sub-inspector of police in 1997.

Apart from academic activities, Tripathy has always been a steadfast police officer. He was instrumental in nabbing dreaded dacoit Pankaj Rath, criminal Kanhu Patra and Ganesh Reddy and was injured in encounters.

He was deputed to join the Crime Branch team, which went to Purulia in Bengal and nabbed five criminals who looted 26kg gold ornaments from Kulabira Gramya Bank in Sambalpur district about two decades ago and recovered the entire gold that was melted.

He was awarded more than 160 awards by the home department including ‘Best Officer of Berhampur’ in 1992.

Asked what prompted him to join the police department instead of the education department, Tripathy said the economic condition of his family had forced him to join the police service.

His plan after retirement is to practise law at Orissa High Court.