Since surprise was essential, the police approached the village furtively. But no matter how hard the raiding party tried to tiptoe through the slush, there was no way the stillness of the night could muffle the thud of boots. By the time the village was encircled, there was no trace of Dara. It's the police's misfortune that the terrain is tailor-made for concealment. There are forests and more forests on the faceless slopes of the undulating hills, and plugging the entire 250-km stretch is next to impossible.
Monsoon rain makes the going tougher.
Yet, the force, led by a specially designated inspector-general, continues to grope in the dark. The police stations in the region are inadequately manned and hopelessly ill- equipped. Besides, the hunters are strangers to the jungle. By contrast, Dara knows the region intimately. The raids begin at dawn and continue well into the night.