From crime accused to cop:3 FIRs, 2 jail terms, and remarkable rise to police service; journey of a boy who fled his village to become DSP

Between 2020 and 2021, three FIRs were filed against me. I had to go to jail twice and spent a total of 18 days behind bars, living like a criminal among prisoners. Inside jail, only one thought kept haunting me—what dreams my father had envisioned for me and where I had ended up. After my second release, I finally began preparing for PSC. Eventually, I fulfilled my father’s dream and became a DSP. This is the remarkable journey of Jainendra Kumar Nigam, a resident of Dongarpur village in Bhind district, who secured 12th rank in the MPPSC DSP category despite years of harassment, legal cases, jail time, and family suffering. Read Jainendra’s complete journey from FIR to jail and then becoming a DSP in this Dainik Bhaskar report… A family targeted: FIRs, jail and forced to leave village Between 2019 and 2020, multiple criminal cases were filed against Jainendra’s family. Amid all of this, Jainendra fought his way back and cracked the MPPSC. First jail term at 23: “From books to a prison cell” In 2019, then 23-year-old Jainendra was preparing for competitive exams while helping his family.
A land dispute with local strongmen escalated on 14 October 2019, and a case was filed against Jainendra, his father, and younger brother. On 15 October, police arrested all three.
Jainendra spent eight days in jail, a traumatic experience for someone who had never known anything beyond books and exams. Second jail term: 11 days of mental and physical torture Another clash with the same group in September 2020 led to another arrest. This time, Jainendra spent 11 days in jail.
After securing bail, he left the criminal environment of the village and moved to Indore to focus on exam preparation. Meanwhile, another case—including Section 307 (attempt to murder)—was filed against his father and brothers. His father was booked under the NSA, jailed for 1.5 months, and then district-exiled. Family broken, mother critical in accident The family abandoned their village due to constant threats.
While staying apart, tragedy struck again. On 13 June 2021, Jainendra’s mother met with a severe road accident in Delhi. She lay unconscious on a hospital bed in Safdarjung Hospital. Both his brothers were injured. “I was breaking from inside,” Jainendra recalls.
In the hospital, he wrote on his mother’s hand:
“Mom, I will become a big officer.” Cases dismissed, first breakthrough as Naib Tehsildar Court hearings continued until 2023–24.
Finally, the court declared all cases baseless and dismissed them. In 2023, Jainendra cleared the Naib Tehsildar exam and received his appointment.
He even cleared the exam for Joint Director, but rejected the post—because he wanted to become either a Deputy Collector or DSP. Father’s unfulfilled dream, son’s achievement Jainendra’s father, Keshav Singh Jatav, shares his own struggle: “I wanted to become a police officer. Between 1996 and 2000, I appeared for competitive exams five times. Twice I cleared prelims, but could not reach the final stage.
Threats, land disputes, pressure from local goons… I had to leave my studies.” Jainendra’s mother recalls: “When I lay unconscious in the hospital, my son wrote his promise on my hand. Today he fulfilled that promise.” “I fought two battles: Studies and clearing my name” Jainendra says his toughest phase was preparing for exams while facing criminal cases. “Every day mattered for my studies, but I had to keep traveling from Indore to Bhind for hearings. I was fighting a legal battle and a career battle at the same time.” Once the court cleared him of all charges, he moved forward with renewed determination. Today, he is DSP Nigam: A story of resilience From being branded a criminal to becoming a police officer, Jainendra’s story is a rare example of grit, perseverance, and inner conviction. He not only cleared the exam but secured 12th rank in DSP merit, proving that truth, hard work, and relentless focus can overcome even the darkest phases of life.