>Ser Amantio di Nicolao at 17:57, 3 June 2021

2021-06-03T17:57:33Z

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{{short description|Indian police officer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2018}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Abdul Sathar Kunju
| image = Abdul Sathar Kunju.jpg
| caption = Abdul Sathar Kunju in the 1990s
| native_name = അബ്ദുൽ സത്താർ കുഞ്ഞ്
| native_name_lang = ml
| birth_name = M. Abdul Sathar Kunju
| birth_date ={{Birth date and age|1939|6|26|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Oachira]], [[Kollam district|Kollam]], [[Kerala]], [[India]]
| residence = [[Thiruvananthapuram]]
| nationality = Indian
| education = [[Bachelor of Arts|BA]] English, 1960<br/>[[Master of Arts|MA]] Political Science, 1962 <br/>[[Bachelor of Laws]]
| alma_mater = Sree Narayana College, Kollam, [[University of Kerala]]<br/>[[Government Law College, Thiruvananthapuram]]
| occupation = Retired police officer
| home_town = [[Kollam district|Kollam]]
| title = [[Director General of Police]], [[Kerala Police|Kerala]] [[File:Director General of Police.png|10px]]
| term = 1996-1997
| predecessor =
| successor =
| title1 = [[Inspector-general of police|Inspector General of Police]], [[Kerala Police|Kerala]] [[File:Insignia of Inspector General of Police in India- 2013-10-02 16-14.png|10px]]
| term1 = 1986-1996
| predecessor1 =
| successor1 =
| spouse = Rafiya
| children =
| parents = Mohammed Kunju (father)<br> Saliha Umma (mother)
| awards = [[President's Police Medal]], 1981 & 1988
| department = [[Indian Police Service]]
| website =
| footnotes =
}}
M. '''Abdul Sathar Kunju''' is a 1963 Batch (16 RR) officer of [[Indian Police Service]] who retired as the 21st Chief of [[Kerala Police]] in 1997.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.keralapolicehistory.com/chief1.html |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2015-07-26 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150501200812/http://www.keralapolicehistory.com/chief1.html |archivedate=2015-05-01 }}</ref>

==Early life and education==

Sathar Kunju was born into an affluent family in the small town of Ochira to Mohammed Kunju and Saliha Umma. He did his undergraduate and post graduate studies at S.N. College Kollam, [[University of Kerala]]. He bagged the prestigious Dr. A. Ramaswamy Mudaliar Gold Medal instituted by [[University of Kerala]] for first rank in [[Political science|Political Science]].
He later attended [[Government Law College, Thiruvananthapuram|Government Law College Thiruvananthapuram]] for Bachelors in Law.

==Career==
Sathar Kunju joined the Indian Police Service in 1963.
He started his career as [[Assistant superintendent|Assistant Superintendent of Police]] of [[Aluva|Alwaye]], in 1966. He later took over as [[Deputy superintendent#India|Assistant Commissioner of Police]], [[Kochi]]. In 1967, he got promoted to the rank of Superintendent
of Police.

He served as [[Superintendent (police)#India|Superintendent of Police]] of [[Kottayam]], twice. He also served as the Superintendent of Police for Alleppy district. In 1971, he took over as Superintendent of Police, [[Thiruvananthapuram district|Thiruvananthapuram]] Rural. He also became the Principal of Police Training College, [[Thiruvananthapuram district|Thiruvananthapuram]].

He served as [[Deputy inspector general of police|Deputy Inspector General]] with Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau for three years. He also served as [[Deputy inspector general of police|D.I.G.]] Crime Branch C.I.D. His tenure as [[Deputy inspector general of police|D.I.G.]] South Zone saw the effective containment of riots at [[Poonthura]] and some other places. He also served the Motor Vehicle Department as ''Joint Transport Commissioner'' from 1983 to 85.<ref>http://www.keralamvd.gov.in/index.php/about-us/additional-commissioner</ref>

He again went back to Crime Branch C.I.D. and served as [[Inspector-general of police#India|Inspector General of Police]] and [[Additional Director General of Police]], before getting promoted to the rank [[Director General of Police]].

He served as [[Director General of Police]] Jails from 1996-1997.<ref>http://www.keralaprisons.gov.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=46&Itemid=54</ref>
In early 1997 Mr.Sathar Kunju also held the post of Commandant General of Kerala Fire and Rescue Services.
Sathar Kunju retired as Director General Of Police, Kerala (Law & Order) in June 1997.

===Contribution===
He was instrumental in creating the post of Medico-Legal Adviser for Kerala Police when he was [[Inspector-general of police|Inspector General of Police]] (Crime Branch C.I.D). Noted forensic surgeon Dr. B. Umadathan was the first occupant of this post.

===Crimes solved===
He as D.I.G. (South Zone) oversaw the Investigation of the famous Ettumanoor Temple Theft case.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/indiascope/story/19810630-stolen-gold-idol-of-famous-siva-temple-at-ettumanoor-in-kerala-recovered-773028-2013-11-19 | title=Stolen gold idol of famous Siva temple at Ettumanoor in Kerala recovered | date=19 November 2013 | publisher=India Today | first=P.V. | last=Ravindran | accessdate=6 October 2018 }}</ref> It was highly appreciated by the then state Government.

==Recognition==
1- [[Police Medal (India)|President's Medal for Distinguished Service]] in 1987.

2- President's Medal for Meritorious Service.

==Family==
He is married to Smt. Rafiya and the couple has two sons and two daughters.

==In Books==
1- Memoirs of a Forensic Surgeon by Dr. Umadathan (former Principal of Government Medical College Thiruvananthapuram) discussed in detail about the contribution of Sathar Kunju.

2- Kerala Muslim History, Statistics and Directory by Dr. C.K. Karim in Volume-3 has a brief biographical write up.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sathar Kunju, Abdul}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1939 births]]
[[Category:People from Kollam]]
[[Category:Kerala Police officers]]
[[Category:Chiefs of police]]
[[Category:Indian police chiefs]]
[[Category:Indian civil servants]]
[[Category:Government Law College, Thiruvananthapuram alumni]]
[[Category:Sree Narayana College, Kollam alumni]]
[[Category:Indian Police Service officers]]
[[Category:University of Kerala alumni]]

Abdul Sathar Kunju - Revision history

>Ser Amantio di Nicolao at 17:57, 3 June 2021