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Badge and the Bullet: Memoirs of a Super Cop
Badge and the Bullet takes you deep into the life of a supercop who has lived on the edge, facing the most dangerous criminals head-on. From the chilling encounter with a kidnapping cartel in Calcutta to the unprecedented siege at Raj Bhavan, this memoir recounts the gritty details of India’s most notorious cases. Uncover the truth behind the La Martiniere Murder, the Kota Kidnapping, and the infamous Azamgarh terror module, as this fearless officer battles fake currency networks and tribal dacoits. Co-written with a seasoned journalist, Badge and the Bullet is a thrilling, no-holdsbarred account of crime, courage and justice. This page-turner gives an insider’s perspective on the challenges and triumphs of upholding the law in a world where danger lurks around every corner.
171 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 10, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 23, 2025
Badge and the Bullet: Memoirs of a Supercop is a raw, gripping account of Rajesh Pandey’s life as an IPS officer, co-written with Rakesh Goswami. It’s not just about high-stakes encounters and thrilling missions but also about the human side of policing—ethical dilemmas, immense pressure, and personal sacrifices.
The writing is straightforward, the stories are real, and the action is intense, but what truly stands out is the insight into the challenges of law enforcement in India. If you love true stories of courage and resilience, this book is a must-read.
The writing is straightforward, the stories are real, and the action is intense, but what truly stands out is the insight into the challenges of law enforcement in India. If you love true stories of courage and resilience, this book is a must-read.
January 12, 2025
⏩ Do you think how police are portrayed in the films are justified in reality ?
🚓 Badge and the Bullet by Rajesh Pandey and Rakesh Goswami is a memoir of glorifying our super heroes and their bravery.
🚓 Honestly, I have never read any memoir on cops because first of all it never interests me and second I think bollywood films are very much occupied in that.
🚓 Reading this book was a new experience for me, as I was stepping into the police world which was completely different from the reality.
🚓 I as a hardcopy bollywood fan grew up watching cops fighting with 100 goons and firing in style while jumping middle of the air.
🚓 When you read this book you will realise how dangerous and different the reality is because in reality life there is pressure, politics ,power , money , injuries and most of the time courage in between.
🚓 Reading this book will give you a close picture of the cops position in rank and as well as their work accordingly.
🚓 This book revolves around mainly the life of a cop and that too during 90s.
🚓 Just like mr. Rakesh Goswami is one of our authors, i am always fascinated by crime cases.
🚓 The writing was honest and practice which makes it easier to connect as a normal reader for me.
🚓 Each chapter has a different perspective, facts, crime and investigation related to it.
🚓 The lucknow four was my favourite among those chapters.
🚓 Overall, it's the adventurous and tale bravery of our superheroes.
🚓 Badge and the Bullet by Rajesh Pandey and Rakesh Goswami is a memoir of glorifying our super heroes and their bravery.
🚓 Honestly, I have never read any memoir on cops because first of all it never interests me and second I think bollywood films are very much occupied in that.
🚓 Reading this book was a new experience for me, as I was stepping into the police world which was completely different from the reality.
🚓 I as a hardcopy bollywood fan grew up watching cops fighting with 100 goons and firing in style while jumping middle of the air.
🚓 When you read this book you will realise how dangerous and different the reality is because in reality life there is pressure, politics ,power , money , injuries and most of the time courage in between.
🚓 Reading this book will give you a close picture of the cops position in rank and as well as their work accordingly.
🚓 This book revolves around mainly the life of a cop and that too during 90s.
🚓 Just like mr. Rakesh Goswami is one of our authors, i am always fascinated by crime cases.
🚓 The writing was honest and practice which makes it easier to connect as a normal reader for me.
🚓 Each chapter has a different perspective, facts, crime and investigation related to it.
🚓 The lucknow four was my favourite among those chapters.
🚓 Overall, it's the adventurous and tale bravery of our superheroes.
December 29, 2024
32nd Book of 2024
Every time we see a man in uniform, we wish to understand how they lead their life and what are their day-to-day activities at their workplace. It is just that we as normal citizens are intimidated by their power and don’t develop courage to go up and speak with them. Books, again, becomes a great medium for them to tell their lives to us and for us to consume and understand them better. I read 2nd book in row which is written by a cop about their work-life and I am in a different thought process altogether after the experience.
I read “Badge and the Bullet” written by Rajesh Pandey who retired as IG of Bareilly Range in May 2022. He has been a part of nearly 70 police encounters and has been one among the founding members of the elite UP STF – Special Task Force. The book has also been co-written with a journalist, Rakesh Goswami, who has always been fascinated by crime reporting. This 170-pages book published by Rupa Publications is an adventurous one-sitting read as I thoroughly enjoyed reading it completely on a Sunday.
As a memoir, the book has been very well edited by keeping it short and crisp where the Cop tries to highlight only the main events of his life by giving us insights upon the kind of cases he was dealing with and the background of all those events which made them such big crimes. He touches base on various incidents such as kidnapping cartel in his initial posting, La Martiniere Murder, Raj Bhavan siege, dacoits tales, the Kota kidnapping case, Sanjarpur ecosystem and lastly the fight against ceasing fake currencies.
He keeps his chapters short yet manages to help us understand the whole process of nabbing the criminals. He has very intelligently spoken about the governments as well who were in power during certain events. He manages to let us know which of the Chief Ministers empowered him whereas few phases where he felt overpowered by the Government.
There’s a chapter where he tells how he was transferred from one place to another for almost six times within ten months itself. The reason for which has been commitment towards resolving a case which a minister wanted to be stopped right at the moment. He tells about how his personal life would get impacted due to the transfers as the children have to change their schools as well.
Author helps us understand the world of small gangs which existed few decades ago and the way police benefitted from the tips they got from the informers or intelligence department. He also tells how STF got formed and how he led one of their initial missions and kept on contributing for the same. I liked the author’s narration where he doesn’t boast about himself much but talks about the crime and the way police got the hold upon them. Even though it’s a memoir but the way the author-duo handled it needs to be appreciated. Overall, I would recommend IPS aspirants and others who would like to know about the real life of policemen read this book. I give it 4.25 stars out of 5.
Thanks!
WRITING BUDDHA
Every time we see a man in uniform, we wish to understand how they lead their life and what are their day-to-day activities at their workplace. It is just that we as normal citizens are intimidated by their power and don’t develop courage to go up and speak with them. Books, again, becomes a great medium for them to tell their lives to us and for us to consume and understand them better. I read 2nd book in row which is written by a cop about their work-life and I am in a different thought process altogether after the experience.
I read “Badge and the Bullet” written by Rajesh Pandey who retired as IG of Bareilly Range in May 2022. He has been a part of nearly 70 police encounters and has been one among the founding members of the elite UP STF – Special Task Force. The book has also been co-written with a journalist, Rakesh Goswami, who has always been fascinated by crime reporting. This 170-pages book published by Rupa Publications is an adventurous one-sitting read as I thoroughly enjoyed reading it completely on a Sunday.
As a memoir, the book has been very well edited by keeping it short and crisp where the Cop tries to highlight only the main events of his life by giving us insights upon the kind of cases he was dealing with and the background of all those events which made them such big crimes. He touches base on various incidents such as kidnapping cartel in his initial posting, La Martiniere Murder, Raj Bhavan siege, dacoits tales, the Kota kidnapping case, Sanjarpur ecosystem and lastly the fight against ceasing fake currencies.
He keeps his chapters short yet manages to help us understand the whole process of nabbing the criminals. He has very intelligently spoken about the governments as well who were in power during certain events. He manages to let us know which of the Chief Ministers empowered him whereas few phases where he felt overpowered by the Government.
There’s a chapter where he tells how he was transferred from one place to another for almost six times within ten months itself. The reason for which has been commitment towards resolving a case which a minister wanted to be stopped right at the moment. He tells about how his personal life would get impacted due to the transfers as the children have to change their schools as well.
Author helps us understand the world of small gangs which existed few decades ago and the way police benefitted from the tips they got from the informers or intelligence department. He also tells how STF got formed and how he led one of their initial missions and kept on contributing for the same. I liked the author’s narration where he doesn’t boast about himself much but talks about the crime and the way police got the hold upon them. Even though it’s a memoir but the way the author-duo handled it needs to be appreciated. Overall, I would recommend IPS aspirants and others who would like to know about the real life of policemen read this book. I give it 4.25 stars out of 5.
Thanks!
WRITING BUDDHA
December 4, 2024
Badge and the Bullet takes readers into the gritty world of crime-fighting in one of India’s most dynamic law enforcement agencies—the UP Special Task Force (STF). Co-written by former supercop Amitabh Thakur and seasoned journalist Nitin A. Gokhale, this memoir offers an unfiltered look into the life of a police officer operating at the intersection of courage and chaos.
The narrative kicks off with Thakur’s first nerve-wracking encounters, setting the stage for a career defined by high-stakes operations and unrelenting danger. The book’s real strength lies in its vivid recounting of the STF’s formative years, established under the leadership of then-Chief Minister Kalyan Singh to counter organized crime, notably the notorious Shriprakash Shukla. The authors craft a riveting backdrop of the 1990s, an era when technological innovation in crime-solving was just taking root, and criminals relied on emerging tools like cell phones and hawala networks for their operations.
Thakur’s recounting of cases like the La Martiniere Murder, the Kota Kidnapping, and the Azamgarh terror module plunges readers into a world of meticulous investigations, adrenaline-pumping raids, and the moral dilemmas faced by those sworn to protect. Each chapter peels back the layers of complex criminal networks and the relentless pursuit of justice, making it hard to put the book down.
Read the full review here: https://www.aliveshadow.com/category-...
The narrative kicks off with Thakur’s first nerve-wracking encounters, setting the stage for a career defined by high-stakes operations and unrelenting danger. The book’s real strength lies in its vivid recounting of the STF’s formative years, established under the leadership of then-Chief Minister Kalyan Singh to counter organized crime, notably the notorious Shriprakash Shukla. The authors craft a riveting backdrop of the 1990s, an era when technological innovation in crime-solving was just taking root, and criminals relied on emerging tools like cell phones and hawala networks for their operations.
Thakur’s recounting of cases like the La Martiniere Murder, the Kota Kidnapping, and the Azamgarh terror module plunges readers into a world of meticulous investigations, adrenaline-pumping raids, and the moral dilemmas faced by those sworn to protect. Each chapter peels back the layers of complex criminal networks and the relentless pursuit of justice, making it hard to put the book down.
Read the full review here: https://www.aliveshadow.com/category-...
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews