Raja Bahadur Venkatarama Reddy

Raja Bahadur Venkatarama Reddy (22 August 1869 – 25 January 1953) was a police officer who served as the Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad City. He was the first Hindu Kotwal of Hyderabad State, as in the late 19th and early 20th century, during the rule of the Nizams, the position of Kotwal of Hyderabad (Police commissioner), was usually held by Muslims. His tenure lasted 14 years and commanded great respect among the public for his outstanding Police administration.

Many sources state that the 7th Nizam was very Fond of Raja Venkatrama Reddy and was very Close to him. Caretaker of Wanaparthy Samsthan, William Wahab, then took care of him. The Raja of Wanaparthy had employed a Catholic teacher to educate some of his boys. He was educated in his village and then at Wanaparthy where he became a classmate of Raja Rameshwar Rao II.

Honours

The Nizam gave him the title of Raja Bahadur on his birthday. In the 1931 New Year Honours, Reddy was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). After many extensions of service, he finally retired in 1934. In relaxation of rules for pension, instead of half his salary, he was given a pension of 1,000 rupees a month. Immediately thereafter, he was appointed Special Officer of the Nizam’s private estate (Sarf-e-Khas). He was also made chairman of the Commission for Inquiry into the Indebtedness of the Sahibzadas.

He was an active freemason. The walls of Goshamahal Baradari are adorned with portraits of many freemasons including Raja Bahadur Venkatarama Reddy.

Death and legacy

When Raja Bahadur Venkatarama Reddy died in 1953, he had only thirty rupees in cash on his person. His first wife died a few months after the birth of his son, Ranga Reddy. His second wife had already two children. The daughter, Narsamma was married to a contractor who built Pathergatti. The son, Laxma Reddy did Bar-at Law, married two English ladies one after another and became a judge of the High Court. He had three sons and a daughter who are no more.

The Telangana State Police Academy was renamed Raja Bahadur Venkatarama Reddy Telangana State Police Academy by the Government of Telangana.

Raja Bahadur Venkata Rama Reddy Women’s College was established in 1954 by Hyderabad Mahila Vidhya Sangham (HMVS), a non-profit educational society with a vision to empower women through quality education. The College is the second oldest women’s college in Hyderabad. It owes its existence to the foresight of Sri. Raja Bahadur Venkata Rama Reddy, Kotwal (Commissioner of Police) of erstwhile Hyderabad State, who believed strongly believed modern education was essential for women empowerment.