A 1983 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, O.P. Singh donned various roles in the state and central services. Through his tenure, he witnessed several challenges, from the tackling of militancy in Kheri to managing disasters such as the April 2015 Nepal earthquake and the Srinagar and Chennai floods of 2014 and 2015, respectively. The Ayodhya verdict, Citizenship Amendment Act protests, the Kumbh Mela and Lok Sabha polls of 2019 all tested this officer's mettle.

From the dusty plains of Gaya, Bihar, to the swampy and terror-infested wetlands of Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh, Crime, Grime and Gumption is an honest and hard-hitting account of law enforcement and governance in the Hindi belt of India. As the ‘policewallah’ gives you a peek into the world of the khaki in this memoir, you will be left thirsting for more.

O.P. Singh had his first brush with law at an early age—soon after losing his father, the house he and his mother were staying in, alone, was burgled. The young boy was determined to take the matter to the police but was met with the apathy of the officers stationed in the small town. That event left its mark.

Today, Singh has had an illustrious career of thirty-seven years, one marked by unwavering diligence and concern for the office—an attitude that could not be more different from those police officers he came across all those years ago.

A 1983-batch Indian Police Service officer from the Uttar Pradesh (UP) cadre, Singh’s tenure as a civil servant has spanned positions not just in various districts of UP but significant roles heading central government services, such as the Central Industrial Security Force and the National Disaster Response Force. His command witnessed the successful handling of several sensitive events, including tackling insurgency in the Lakhimpur Kheri regions, supervising the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, maintaining law and order during the Ayodhya verdict and ensuring a smooth Kumbh Mela in 2019. Under his leadership, the Commissionerate system was established in Lucknow and Noida and Indian aid teams conducted relief operations in the 2015 Nepal earthquake. All in all, Singh’s journey has been marked by a concern for the people—whether the men under him or the citizens he served.

Crime, Grime and Gumption is a gritty account of field operations and encounters with militancy but equally a tale of everyday law enforcement and the ins and outs of a career devoted to policing for the people.