The experiment has already paid dividends for district superintendent of police Suresh Khopade, when dreaded dacoit Jwalasingh, wanted in several incidents of dacoities and murders, surrendered to the rural police.

Khopade however admits that he was not expecting the surrender of Jwala Singh and 20 other notorious gangsters within such a short period. The principle behind the strategy, whether in Bhiwandi or dacoities, he explains, was to go to the root cause of the problem and devise long-term plans to curb the menace.

The rural police in association with the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics carried out an extensive survey of the socio-economic problems of the two tribes engaged in dacoities and major thefts. The survey revealed that only five per cent of the people from the two communities were engaged in the dacoities and murders. The rural police won the confidence of the people not involved in the crimes and with their assistance apprehended the dacoits.

Khopade who took over charge in June last year set out with his plan only in October. With a spate of dacoities taking place in the first half of 1998, State Director General of Police Arvind Inamdar had held several meetings to discuss plans for curbing the dacoities. The police had come out with a plan to form vigilance committees involving people from the villages and remote areas. With the guidance of the director general and the special inspector general of police Kolhapur range O P Bali Khopade set out with his plan. Khopade commented that it was like putting a net to catch the fish. We got the big fish!

More gangs involved in the dacoities and serious thefts are likely to apprehended following the surrender of Jwala Singh. According to Khopade, the incidents of dacoties will also reduce considerably besides instilling a sense of security among the people.

Khopade, a recipient of the President's gallantry award, said that the conventional methods usually were not successful in curbing serious crimes. The usual fire-fighting approach hardly helps, he adds.

His unconventional approach for maintaining peace and communal harmony in Bhiwandi has been acclaimed even by the Union Home Ministry. The ministry in 1998 invited him to frame guidelines to curb communal tensions in the country. Between 1988 and 1992 when he posted as deputy commissioner of police in Bhiwandi, Khopade was successful in forming mohalla committees at ward levels.