‘Unbounded’: Former cop Abhayanand’s experiments with law, physics and Super 30

Sandeep Sinha

POLICING is all about the use of law and applying scientific methods of investigation to crack cases. Abhayanand, former DGP of Bihar, entered the world of policing with the mindset of a physicist, becoming an unconventional officer. In his memoir, he describes his life as a cop in a state known for its caste and political intricacies as well as the crime graph.

The book tells what it takes to be effective when your resources are stretched and solving a crime is a case of going out against all odds. He writes of routine police functions, supervision of cases involving murder, theft and political protests, inspection of police stations and dealing with senior and junior officials. Challenging the status quo proved helpful in his profession. His investigative bent of mind saw him serve a term with the CBI also. The book has interesting stories — like that of the district judge advising a young trainee officer like him that an officer may be confident that nothing is happening behind his back, but might not know what is happening right under his nose. The author says he found the laws of physics to be mightier than the lathi of the police in solving crime. Unconventional approaches brought about answers, as also popularity, but approval from the higher authorities? Not always.

The author describes his thoughts on Naxalism when, as an experiment, he started attaching the land of a suspect, overseeing it himself as Superintendent of Police. He says the poor are neither for nor against the State.

A man with some pedigree — his father was DGP too — he recounts how as an ASP, he asked the state DGP for a vehicle to help him join his place of posting, a request that was not conceded. The DGP said that if the British could come to India and find their way across the country, he should not find it that difficult to look for his workplace.

He describes his fondness for physics and his inclination to teach the subject in his spare time and how with Anand Kumar, a mathematics teacher, he set up Super 30 to coach students from deprived sections to enable them to study in premier engineering institutes like the IITs. However, since commercial consideration was not on his mind and teaching students in large numbers could land him in trouble with the government, he parted ways. There are positive mentions of senior officers like JM Lyngdoh and Lalit Vijay Singh, who became the Minister of State for Defence in the Chandra Shekhar Cabinet.

The author may not be the first police officer to pen a memoir but his strength lies in sticking to his turf, knowing his job and taking a stand when it mattered.

The book makes for engaging reading, especially for those with an interest in the affairs of a state that has aroused as much interest as it is an enigma.