• A train wreck becomes an opportunity for thievery. • A young woman thwarts a burglary attempt but is robbed of the dignity to exercise her choice because of her impoverished background. • An indigent village is looted to feed the nexus between the authorities and the criminals. Crimes against humanity hold a universal truth: poverty is the worst form of violence. Its wounds run deep as they violate basic human rights and dignity. On the Trail of Thugs and Thieves firmly belongs to the genre of truth being stranger than fiction as it traces the footsteps of former Director-General of Police Aloke Lal through thirty-seven years of adorning the khaki. The gripping accounts of sensational larcenies from the yellowing pages of police records reveal that while it is easy for the police to deal with crimes as per the law, it is onerous to heal the social malaise that causes them. Though the larger implications of solving these crimes are priceless because lives are saved, reformed and dignified. The human narratives recounted with wit, humour and a great deal of sensitivity by the decorated IPS officer not only expose inhumanity of the gross kind, but also evoke moral outrage and shake our collective conscience. ‘Set in the Hindi heartland, these intricate investigations into different types of crime make for a riveting read...The Lals are truly gifted storytellers.’ - K. Vijay Kumar, former Director-General CRPF, author of Veerappan: Chasing the Brigand