In the 1980’s I was posted as the Superintendent of Police (City), in Patna 1 where property crimes were a serious challenge.
Theft of small items and money from various commercial places such as shops, showrooms, and large stores were an everyday occurrence. It was not only the shopkeepers but also ordinary citizens coming to these stores who would find something stolen from their bags. On crowded buses and metros pick-pocketing was rampant and theft from cars parked on the streets was a common phenomenon. Additional patrolling, awareness campaigns, and surveillance over the hot spots of crime were many of the preventive measures that we experimented with to deal with these crimes. Unfortunately, it was always a losing proposition and we were generally outwitted by professional criminals.
One set of professionals were targeting two wheelers in the region. The Indian economy had yet to take off and two-wheelers were prized possessions for those joining the middle-class. This obviously meant that demand for scooters was high and consequently the second-hand market for stolen two-wheelers thrived too. Professional gangs specialized in procuring registration papers from touts and corrupt officials of the Road Transport Department; so it was not difficult to create fake papers of ownership for stolen scooters. Gangs of professional criminals engaged in stealing, changing the color and identification, and selling scooters with forged papers were well-organized. Hence, whenever a new scooter was spotted in the neighborhood, it also drew the attention of the underworld who would begin plans to steal it. Our hands were tied and even though we kept a good number of such professionals under surveillance, it was extremely difficult to prevent scooters and motorbikes from being stolen. While chasing one case, several more would be waiting for our attention.
I had created a team of officers who were sharing information and putting all clues together to reach these professional criminals. Even though we occasionally achieved success in catching offenders and prosecuting them, our ability to keep them in prison was limited. Invariably, they would get bail and then simply vanish into the big world. Rarely would anyone arrested admit to the crime and reveal the name of his associates. In fact, they would receive support and funds when under incarceration. The brief detention would not deter them and they would be planning the next heist and operation with their friends outside the jail. A series of two-wheeler thefts in a span of two months received media attention and we were being pushed from all directions to do something about these crimes. I was at my wits end not understanding what more we could be doing about them.
“Sir! We have an interesting criminal who you would like to see.”
It was a call from one of my best inspectors who was spearheading the team against two-wheelers gangs. Prakash had served for more than thirty years in the police and had a reputation of “getting his man.” I reached the police station in no time hoping that he had some useful clue about the scooter gangs.
The police station had been built during the British period; it had a large compound and a winding road leading to the main building. It was in a dilapidated condition with portions crumbling and falling down. The roof had caved in at a number of places while the cement on the walls was loose and peeling. The compound looked like a lost battleground with hundreds of items scattered all over the place. There were old rusted cars, some trucks, copper wires, and even some broken-down furniture. Household utensils, bundles of clothes, cycles, door and window frames, and hundreds of tin and leather boxes lay rotting and abandoned. Many TV sets, radios, electric wires, and one broken refrigerator adorned the compound too.
I had more important issues to consider than think of cleaning the police station and proceeded directly to the inspector’s office. He was waiting for me and there was a middle-aged man sitting on a stool in the corner. The man was short with a thin frame, wearing a simple pant and shirt with chappals on his feet. The face showed contours of age and his dark unruly hair had strands of grey. He had a sense of resignation on his face though he appeared calm, confident, and self-assured.
“Sir! He has confessed to being a criminal though he says he has not committed any crime in our region,” Inspector Prakash started his introduction. “He says he was working in Gujarat and has just been released from jail and is now going back to his village,” he added, doubting the confession.
“How did you find him?” I asked him the full details suggesting that limited dressed-up information was not acceptable to me either.
“Oh! I found him just outside the police station. He was going on a rickshaw and did not look me in the eye which made me suspicious. So, I stopped the rickshaw and brought him in to find out about his identity,” Prakash explained simply, without being aware that this was hardly a normal explanation to detain someone.
I started laughing finding this to be rather amusing. “Prakash! Who will look you in the eye? If I had not been the SP even I would be afraid to look at you,” I added as a plausible reason. “You are so tall and big and also have an imposing moustache. Who will look you in the eye?”
“No, Sir! It is not about looking at me but the way he turned his eyes and face, was very suspicious and made me stop him,” the inspector stated as if this was a normal routine matter. “He immediately confessed that he has committed several crimes.”
“Let me ask him,” I decided to ascertain for myself.
“Sure! Answer the SP Saheb truthfully,” Prakash made sure that I heard the full story.
“Sir! I have been living and working in Gujarat for many years,” the man started narrating his life story. “I fell into bad company and committed some crimes,” he added apologetically. “Sir! I went to find work in Gujarat about five years ago. But I do not have any skill and so could not find any job,” he spoke softly. “I joined a gang who were breaking into houses to steal gold and diamonds,” he came straight to his criminal behavior.
“Stop!” How did you find this gang of criminals?” I wanted to know more.
“Sir! There was one person from my region who I met and he introduced me to this gang, he was still elusive but provided some information about his entry into the criminal underworld. We were working together here and then he went to Gujarat first, and then looked me up there.”
“So what work were you doing here,” I asked.
“Sir! We were committing dacoities but not here in your district,” he wanted to assure me about not crossing the Rubicon.
“So why go to Gujarat? Were you caught here?” I wanted to understand the reasons for criminals moving from one place to another.
“Sir! No, I was not caught here though Daroga ji 2locked me up for two days on suspicion, but did not forward me to the jail,” he explained. “But we were not earning much and everything had to be shared with other gang members,” he was now becoming more voluble. “My friend told us about the large amounts that were possible in Gujarat. Sir! In Gujarat it was better because in any house we raided, we found lots of gold, jewellery, and cash,” he saw our interest and began to expand his story.
“Sir! Here (in Bihar) we were getting just a little gold and silver and only clothes and utensils to share among the gang members. People are very poor here and there was hardly anything much to loot,” he sounded almost condescending in his statement. “But in Gujarat they have lots of money and moreover they will not report all that is stolen from their home,” he explained in a conspiratorial tone.
“Tell the SP why all the stolen money and jewels are not reported to the police there,” Prakash interjected.
“Sir! They are afraid of income tax inspector coming after them if they report about the large sums of money kept in the house,” he answered with a smile on his face.
I was now beginning to piece together the story he was narrating. He had experience of committing dacoity here in his region and must have been a useful gang member. So when another gang member moved to Gujarat and started operating there and needed assistance he called for this guy. This fits well with what we knew about the underworld. Professional criminals form small groups and help one other not only in learning about the tricks of the trade but in carrying out criminal activities The part about easy pickings in Gujarat also seemed believable for it is one of the richest States in India and most people are entrepreneurs involved in business and trading. They tend to under-report their income to the revenue authorities and generally are wary of income tax officials. Therefore, even when criminally victimized they prefer to report only a limited amount of stolen property, apprehending that full disclosure may get them into trouble with the tax officials.
“How about the police? Don’t they know how much has been stolen?” I asked.
“Sir! They do know what has been stolen but at the request of the home-owner they record only the amount that they are asked to report,” he was now relaxed and willing to share his information with us.
“So, did they try to recover everything from you or only the amount recorded in the FIR?” I asked still unsure how the police in Gujarat functioned and dealt with serious crimes.
“Sir! They would recover everything from us but would only show recovery of the amount given in the report. That way they would pocket rest of the amount,” he stated with a plain face.
“We managed to keep a little for ourselves and that way everyone was happy,” he explained further.
“So, did you get caught?” I asked with interest.
“Yes, Sir! One of my friends gave my name and the police found some cash in my room and arrested me,” he explained.
“The police have filed a charge-sheet and I was in prison for two years; I got bail now and am going home,” he confided.
Inspector Prakash suggested we keep him at the police station and check his story with the Gujarat Police. So I called the SP of the Gujarat district where he was arrested. The SP was helpful and promised to check out the story. True to his word, by evening he called me back and said that this person had indeed been released from prison on bail and is awaiting trial. The Gujarat Police had filed charges in three cases though the SP was honest to admit that none of the charges was going to stick. There was circumstantial evidence and the cash recovered did not match the amount stolen. He also added that they have little information about his association and other crimes. He had been careful in staying back and not making his involvement known even to his gang members. He helped with planning and disposal of stolen property but rarely participated in the break-ins. This enabled him to remain in the shadows and evade detection by the police for a good amount of time. I now had more admiration for Prakash who found him suspicious at one glance!
“Sir! Let us use him to get information about the scooter gang,” Prakash was sitting in my office the next day to discuss what we should do with this person.
We had no evidence against him and even the Gujarat Police did not show immediate interest in detaining him. We were apprehensive that he will commit some crime in our region and given his expertise could become a dangerous offender. But before he committed another crime we had no power to detain him on mere suspicion. However, I agreed with Prakash that he could be used against some other gangs. He understands the underworld and is sharp in picking cues about criminal activities. Since he had been gone for many years from our region and had been operating in Gujarat, it was likely that the local criminals would not know him. I thought it was a good idea to use him to collect information about the scooter gang that was giving us headaches.
“How do we go about it?” I asked Prakash. “Sir! Let us send him to the prison from where he can get some information,” he had a ready solution.
Prison is a big school for criminals. Cloistered together in limited space with little to do, criminals find it easy to interact with one another. Each has some skill and specializes in specific crime types. They have the opportunity and time to build new networks and associations. Furthermore, Indian prisons do not differentiate between those convicted of crimes and those waiting for the completion of their trials. We know that a good number of crimes are planned and executed from the prison too. Gang leaders keep contact with their associates and direct their activities. Kidnapping, murder, and extortion are some of the dangerous crimes that originate from the prisons. Many big criminals and particularly those with political links are known to threaten jail staff and procure facilities for themselves including phones to talk to their associates. For them, jail rarely poses an imposition or restriction on their criminal activities.
The prison is also a place for information about crimes and criminals. The prisoners are able to hear, observe, and receive information about various crimes taking place outside. Enterprising prisoners know who to ask and interact with, to update themselves about the activities of criminals still operating freely in the region. Accordingly, Prakash’s suggestion to send this guy to the prison for getting some information seemed a good sensible idea.
“How do you plan to do it?” I asked Inspector Prakash. “Sir! We will book him in one of our ongoing criminal investigations and send him to judicial remand. That way he can be in the prison for about a week to ten days,” Prakash laid out his plans invoking the legal procedures for such an action.
“What crime and case do you have in mind?” I asked.
“Oh! We will book him for theft of a suitcase that has been reported from the bus station today,” Prakash informed nonchalantly.
Theft of small items is common in crowded places such as the bus stand, railway station, or market areas and hence seemed innocuous. It was also one where the judge would accept the need of police to keep the person in judicial custody till proper investigation is carried out. The plan was set! Prakash and his team briefed the guy about scooter thefts and the nature of information to be sought from within the jail premises. He was quick to grasp the directions and promised that he will get the information very quickly. I left the police station hoping that this decoy may work and get us some lead about the gang tormenting us and the people for many months.
“Sir! Please come this guy is trying to run away,” Prakash called me late in the afternoon the day after. “Running away? Why? I thought he was going to help us,” I asked angrily. “Yes, Sir! These are criminals and they never reform,” Prakash too sounded very dejected.
I reached the police station to find him sitting on the same stool in the corner. He seemed tired and on the verge of crying and I wondered if the police station staff has roughed him up. “No, Sir! We have not touched him,” Prakash was quick to read my mind. “I had gone to the jail to check upon another criminal who was bailed this morning when I found that he was also being released on bail,” Prakash informed. “I asked him why he is not staying and helping us. He says he cannot stay in jail any longer as it is very uncomfortable,” Prakash was visibly annoyed. “He found a lawyer and filed his bail that was immediately granted by another judge.”
“Why could you not stay for few days in the jail?” I asked the man. “You have been there before and know what to expect,” I tried to reason with him.
“Sir! It was not the cells and poor food that caused the problem,” he explained. “I know what to expect and am prepared to be there for some days as I had promised inspector Saheb and you to find out about this gang,” he said in a show of deference.
“So what? Why did you seek bail?” I asked sternly.
“Sir! You charged me for theft of a suitcase which is a minor offense,” he stated in a hurt tone. “Sir! Whenever a new person gets into the jail he is asked about the crime for which he has been arrested. As soon as I told them of the charge of suitcase theft, everyone laughed and abused me. They considered me to be a stupid person who got booked for such a minor offense,” he added ruefully.
“Sir! I was immediately given the task of cleaning the toilets, cell floor, and washing clothes of the bigger criminals. Even after that I had to bring food and water and also clean the utensils. In the evening, I had to massage the legs of all these big criminals, and they would abuse me or even kick me if I slackened,” he seemed to be in tears remembering the suffering.
“Sir! I could not take it anymore and immediately contacted a lawyer to file bail for me,” he described simply. “Sir! If you had sent me on charges of dacoity or armed robbery I would have had a higher status there. There is hierarchy in the jail and professional criminals facing serious charges carry big weight within the cells. Everyone is afraid of them including the jail staff. They thought I was a stupid thief who got caught and so tortured me,” he blamed us for reducing his stature among his peers. “Sir! I am ready to go back again but please charge me for a serious crime,” he suggested.
This was of course out of question. He was already exposed to the criminals in the prison and sending him again on some other trumped-up charge would have drawn even more suspicion upon him. Since we had no other charge against him and he was already bailed out in the case we had to let him go. We got him to promise that he would not commit crime in our region and to inform the local police if he was going away. I sent information to the local SP giving his particulars and suggested that he be kept in surveillance. True to his words he stayed home for some months and then informed the local inspector that he was going to Mumbai.
His parting words were “Sir! Mumbai is full of rich people, and I will find good work there!”
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This is a condensed version of the story “The Professional Criminal,” from the book, “She Must Not Die” -Extraordinary Tales of Policing India-My Life in the Service (Indus-An imprint of ThinkMines Media, Chennai, 2023). The stories in the book are based on true incidents, encountered by the author.
Dr. Arvind Verma had been a member in the Indian Police Service (IPS) and had served for many years in the State of Bihar, holding several senior positions in the organization. His first degree was in Engineering Mathematics from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, and later he earned his PhD in Criminology from Simon Fraser University, Canada.
Dr. Verma is currently Professor of Criminal Justice at Indiana University, Bloomington. He is also affiliated with IIT, Kanpur, on a visiting position and has established a Center for Criminal Justice Research to promote research and technology applications on Indian police.
Unique experience. Beautifully described. Some insights of criminal world and informers from firsthand is good to know. Curious to know whether scooter stealing was controlled and how it was handled.