Abhayanand

Additional Director General of Police
Bihar, India
Focus Area(s)
Accountable Policing
Critical Tasks
Internal accountability
Recruitment
Training
Interviewers
Rohan Mukherjee
Country of Reform
India
Town/City
Bihar state
Country
India
Date of Interview
Friday, July 10, 2009
Abstract

Abhayanand, the additional director general of police in the state of Bihar, India, recounts some notable successes during his tenure, including the recruitment of former members of the military to supplement the police force on a contract basis. The recruitment and amalgamation of former military personnel, specifically to deal with organized crime and extremist groups, quickly addressed a need for greater numbers of trained police. Another notable success was the institution of the "speedy trial," in which it became practice for police to become invested in the judicial process by securing and sometimes protecting witnesses for deposition. Abhayanand also elaborates on the importance of the media as a tool for building public support for reform and improving public perception of the police. He notes that much of the impetus for reform, particularly to curb kidnappings for ransom and installing a general sense of law and order, derived from election promises. One area of attempted reform that was deemed a failure was the rehabilitation of convicts.

Case Study:  Clearing the Jungle Raj, Bihar State, India, 2005-2009

Full Interview

52 MB
Abhayanand - Full Interview
Audio Subsections
Size
1.2 MB
Title
The Special Auxiliary Police
Profile

At the time of this interview, Abhayanand was a 1977 batch Indian Police Service officer and was serving as additional director general of police in Bihar state.  In this capacity, he oversaw both police headquarters and police intelligence activities.  During his tenure in this position, he constituted the Special Auxiliary Police Force by recruiting retired soldiers on contract, a policy that was later adopted by other states.

Keywords
speedy trial
media relations
coalition-building
Not specified