What does it take to head the police department in a state with an intriguing political backdrop? How did a policeman move unarmed and fearlessly for 37 long years in the badlands of Bihar? Can a tough taskmaster be a humanist at heart?
This book explores such compelling questions through the eyes of Bihar’s most celebrated police officer, Abhayanand. Entering the world of police with the mindset of a physicist, he became a very unconventional police officer.
This is a tale of how his scientific mind remained ‘unbounded’, egging him to remain innovative in tackling crime. Through real incidents and experiences, the author, in his unique style, narrates how he used law over the muscle power of police in obliterating some of the most heinous crimes in the most unusual ways. He also presents a bird’s-eye view of the criminal justice system and the sociopolitical ambience of our society.
Bihar’s former director general of police (DGP) became a household name for the impact he created, so much so that criminals of all hues—from bahubalis to conmen—dreaded Abhayanand, not for his gun but for his intelligence and his steel grip.
The book also clears the mist surrounding the grand social experiment popularly known as Super 30, which he conceptualized and implemented in order to help underprivileged students make it to the prestigious IITs. Thereafter, he also created an equally successful Rahmani 30, which taught underprivileged Muslim students.
This is the riveting story of a policeman, a physicist, a teacher and a humanist.
Review
‘Told with an elegiac ferocity, unadulterated impartiality and unsettling forensic memories of policing, Abhayanand’s Unbounded is a compelling and gripping tale of a Supercop’s daring deeds to fix a dystopian Leviathan without blood or gore. He also inspired poor students to pursue their dreams of joining IITs through his conceptualization of Super 30.’ —Ashwani Kumar, Professor, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, and author of Community Warriors: State, Peasants and Caste Armies in Bihar
‘The book looks at the innovations and experiments of Abhayanand during his service period.’ —Prakash Jha, Award-winning filmmaker
‘History should remember Abhayanand for two near-miracles: ending “jungle raj” in Bihar and creating the Super 30. A most brilliant mind of our times!’ —Rajesh Chakrabarti, Director, MDI, Gurgaon, and author of Bihar Breakthrough: The Turnaround of a Beleaguered State
‘Abhayanand promoted speedy trials to quickly jail criminals and, thus, transform the law and order situation.’ —S.A. Aiyar, The Economics Times
About the Author
Abhayanand is a 1977 batch Indian Police Service officer of the Bihar cadre. He became the 48th DGP of Bihar, following in the footsteps of his father, who was its 28th DGP. He is known for changing the paradigms of policing through his innovations. He is also a philanthropist who conceptualized Super 30 to mentor poor but talented students for the country’s toughest competitive exams, like the IIT-JEE.
While he continues to pursue his passion for teaching, he, along with his daughter Richa, is focusing on spreading awareness amongst the farmers of Bihar about traditional food, health and nutrition, a concept which he feels is getting eroded rapidly and which may turn out to be the cause of most social aberrations, including violence in society. Since his retirement in 2015, he lives in the lap of nature, in a village on the outskirts of Patna.
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