Mumbai Police Diary: This cop speaks 8 languages, says it helps in policing
Kaushik who has a knack at learning new languages has during his student life and professional career learnt to speak some and even read and write a few languages fluently.
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Niket Kaushik special inspector general Maharashtra ATS. Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty
“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.” Inspector General (IG) Niket Kaushik can vouch for these words by Nelson Mandela in letter and spirit!
The incumbent Railway Police Commissioner who originally hails from Haryana can speak at least eight languages fluently and says that his linguistic skills has helped him crack tough nuts during his sensitive postings as IG Anti-Terrorism Squad and additional commissioner of Mumbai police’s crime branch.
Kaushik who has a knack at learning new languages has during his student life and professional career learnt to speak some and even read and write a few languages fluently.
A person who does not know him and starts speaking with him in Bengali can never make out that he has Haryanvi origins. He can speak in Punjabi, Rajasthani, Assamese and Marathi with equal ease.
“I picked up Assamese when I was in the North-East and can also speak in Nepali language because of similarities between the two,” says Kaushik.
Kaushik who was posted in Malda in West Bengal during his early years as an IPS officer picked up Bengali so well that it helped him tremendously in cracking fake currency cases when he was posted as IG in state’s Anti-Terrorism Squad.
“I knew the business and modus operandi of the gangs operating in fake currency because of my Malda posting. Since fake currency cases are a subject of the ATS, my knowledge of Bengali helped me a lot. When I would interrogate an accused in Bengali, he would become comfortable and often break down and give important leads,” he says.
Kaushik says that a man becomes a little comfortable when one speaks in his language and from thereon as a policeman it becomes easier for him to make headway in the case.
Picking and mastering languages seem to be a quality that runs in his family. Kaushik’s brother who is based out of Macau can speak Mandarin fluently.
The 45-year-old officer says he continues to have his deep interest in learning new languages and is planning to get on one soon.
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