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Rakesh Maria Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 6, 2026 • 3 min read

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Quick Info

Date of birth19 January 1957

Age68 Years

BirthplaceBandra, Mumbai

ProfessionRetired IPS Officer

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpousePreeti Maria

FamilyTwo sons (Kunal and Krish)

Rakesh Maria Biography

Rakesh Maria is a retired Indian Police Service officer from the 1981 Maharashtra cadre who served in several senior posts during a 36-year career, most‑fê

Early life and background

Rakesh Maria was born on 19 January 1957 in Bandra, Mumbai, and grew up with a long-standing ambition to join the uniformed services. He attended St. Andrew's High School and later studied at St. Xavier's College in Mumbai. As a young man he was active in sports and martial arts — he represented Maharashtra in karate at the National Games in 1979 and played basketball competitively while in college.

Career

Maria joined the Indian Police Service in the 1981 batch and served in the Maharashtra cadre. Over a 36-year career he moved through key operational and leadership roles in Mumbai policing. Early posts included Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) in 1993 and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime). He later served as Joint Commissioner of Mumbai Police (Crime) and led the city’s Anti-Terror Squad.

He is widely known for his work on major bomb-blast investigations. Maria led investigations into the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts and later handled the Gateway of India and Zaveri Bazaar twin blast cases in 2003. As a senior crime officer he was involved in high-profile interrogations and case work that drew public attention.

Maria served as Commissioner of the Mumbai Police from 15 February 2014 and also held the post of Director-General of the Home Guard. He is the only IPS officer noted for having headed the Crime branch at every level — Deputy Commissioner, Additional Commissioner, Joint Commissioner and Commissioner.

Among his investigative work, Maria interrogated Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving perpetrator of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. His knowledge of Urdu and interrogation techniques are reported to have helped secure information from the attacker about his handlers. As chief of the Mumbai ATS, Maria worked on uncovering networks of sleeper cells tied to the Indian Mujahideen.

Public profile

Maria’s career earned formal recognition: he was awarded the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service, the Police Medal for Meritorious Service and a 50th Anniversary Independence Medal. His policing style and investigative approach have led colleagues and commentators to compare him to a cerebral detective figure, and he has been credited with securing important confessions in multiple cases.

His methods and some operational decisions have also been the subject of criticism and controversy. Incidents recorded in public sources include disputed statements and questions about aspects of the police response during the 26/11 attacks. Maria has acknowledged personal regrets about not being on the field the day of those attacks when he was assigned to the control room.

Outside the office, Maria has been active in sport representing Mumbai Police teams in football and basketball. He has continued an interest in martial arts and remains known for a hands-on approach to law-and-order situations.

Personal life

Rakesh Maria is married to Preeti Maria, a businesswoman; the couple wed in 1985 and have two sons, Kunal and Krish. His father, Vijay Madia, worked in the film industry as a producer. Maria follows Sikhism, identifies with the Gond caste group, and lives in Mumbai.

He lists hobbies such as reading, and an appreciation for ghazals and qawwalis. He prefers non-vegetarian food and has mentioned Thai cuisine and deep-fried mackerel among his favourites.

Latest updates

After retirement Maria announced plans to write about his career and high-profile investigations. In February 2020 he published memoirs titled Let Me Say It Now, in which he discussed aspects of the 26/11 attacks and the identities of the attackers. In 2018 a filmmaker announced plans to make a web series about him, and he has been portrayed on screen in earlier films by actors who took on his role in dramatizations of the attacks.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Rakesh Maria, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded

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Recent Work

Let Me Say It Now

A memoir published in which Maria discusses the Mumbai 26/11 attacks and his investigative experiences.

2020
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Career Highlights

  1. Joined the Indian Police Service, 1981 batch (Maharashtra cadre)
  2. Led investigations into the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts
  3. Headed investigations for the Gateway of India and Zaveri Bazaar blasts (2003)
  4. Chief of Mumbai Anti-Terror Squad
  5. Commissioner of Mumbai Police (appointed 15 February 2014)
  6. Director-General of the Home Guard
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Rakesh Maria born?

Rakesh Maria was born on 19 January 1957.

What is Rakesh Maria known for?

Rakesh Maria is known for retired IPS Officer.

What is Rakesh Maria’s marital status?

Rakesh Maria's marital status is listed as Married.

Who is Rakesh Maria married to?

Rakesh Maria is publicly listed as married to Preeti Maria.