John Lobo
Former IB officer and CBI chief (India)
John Lobo was a career officer in the Indian Police Service (IPS) from the Maharashtra cadre. He later served in the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the latter considered to be the Indian equivalent of America's FBI.
He hailed from Siolim village of Goa but grew up in erstwhile Bombay/ Mumbai. He was specially renowned for his stellar reputation, professional competence and personal integrity.
Known Academic History:-
Schooling from Dr. Antonio Da Silva High School, Bombay
Intermediate education from St Xavier's College, Bombay
Graduation with first class honours in English Literature, University of Bombay (1940)
Known Professional History:-
Commissioned as Assistant Superintendent of Police Under Training (1948)
Superintendent and later Deputy Commissioner of Police in various districts of Bombay, including incharge of Crime Branch, Criminal Investigation Department (1949-61)
Assistant Inspector General of Police, Maharashtra State (1961-64)
Deputy Director IB (1964-73)
Joint Director IB incharge of VVIPs, industrial and general security (1973-77)
Director CBI (1977-79)
Served under the following four IB chiefs:-
S.P. Verma (1964-68)
M.M.L. Hooja (1968-71)
Atma Jayaram (1971-75)
S.N. Mathur (1975-80)
Miscellaneous:-
As DCP Crime Branch (CID) in Bombay, he introduced innovation including a Data Processing Unit, Dog Squad, Missing Persons Squad and Conviction Index Bureau etc. He was also the lead investigator in famous cases such as Commander Nanavati case, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya murder, murder of the Maharaja of Kishengarh etc.
As Joint Director IB, he served as Chief Security Liaison Officer to two successive Prime Ministers, Indira Gandhi and Morarji Desai; in 1977, a VVIP Tu-124 aircraft (flight V-643) of Air Headquarters Communication Squadron carrying Desai and Lobo, among others, crashed near its intended destination of Jorhat, Assam. Notwithstanding his personal safety, Lobo worked overnight to facilitate rescue of passengers, all of whom miraculously survived (excepting the cabin crew)
As Director CBI he led the Interpol Wing of the National Crime Bureau; led Indian delegations to the Interpol General Assembly in Panama (1978) and Interpol's Asian Regional Conference (1979)
His services were solicited from time to time even post retirement, including as Adviser to the Union Public Service Commission and Ad Hoc Chairman of Staff Selection Commission
Post retirement managent of and engagement with multiple social, cultural and educational forums such as Nirmala Niketan (College of Social Work), Family Service Centre for Foster Care and Adoption, Seva Dhan (Drug Dependents' Rehabilitation) and the Catholic Gymkhana
Member of the Board of Directors at Citizen Cooperative Bank
National Coordinator for the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India during the visit of Pope John Paul II (1986)
References
Dilip Bobb, Asoka Raina, 'From the India Today archives (1978) | Inside the CBI', India Today, https://www.indiatoday.in/india-today-insight/story/from-the-india-today-archives-1978-inside-the-cbi-2355769-2023-04-04
Vandana Kumar, 'Mumbai April 27 1959: Nanavati’s Story', India Currents, https://indiacurrents.com/mumbai-april-27-1959-nanavatis-story/
'[Goanet] John Lobo and the Nanavati case', Narkive MailingList Archive, https://goanet.goanet.narkive.com/7HYlKNi9/john-lobo-and-the-nanavati-case
'John Lobo (1921 to 2017)', V-643, https://v-643.com/lobo.html
Gyan Prakash, 'Mumbai Fables', published by HarperCollins India in 2010
J. Clement Vaz, 'Profiles of Eminent Goans, Past and Present', published by Concept Publishing Company in 1997
'Ride to remember : Air headquarter communication squadron remembers it’s martyers media brief', Press Information Bureau, https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=197671