The police department is a law enforcement agency. The police force has been formed to enforce the law, protect property and limit civil disorder. Usually, people are afraid of the police. On the one hand, the police don’t have a very good record in dealing with people; on the other hand, most of the medias are full of stories about bad cops and police brutality. If all you ever hear is negative, you’ll start to get scared of whatever it is. Maintaining the positive image of the police has always been a challenge.

According to the report to the International Association of Chiefs of Police by the Administration of Justice Program George Mason University, negative publicity about the police in one city that receives high visibility around the nation may have a nation-wide impact on the public’s view of the police, but the effect appears to be modest and not enduring. The recent trend toward “tabloid-style” journalism - even in mainstream media - appears to reduce public confidence and trust in the police.

In this context, a police officer in Nepal has built his public image as a hero. Senior Superintendent of Police Sarbendra Khanal, the chief of the Metropolitan Police Crime Division in Kathmandu, is being hailed as a hero after his successful performance in crime control in the capital of the nation. He reached a major milestone in the history of Nepal Police when his team arrested three members of a Nepal national football team, including captain and vice-captain, and two former national players on charge of match fixing in national and international games. The arrests were made after receiving complaints and tip-offs that the five were involved in match fixing of national and international games. The story quickly became newspaper and magazine fodder. Sarbendra was performing his duty but that made him celebrity police officer. After this arrest, Nepal won international matches. Nepalese hailed him as a hero of the nation.

His team from Metropolitan Crime Division shot notorious gangster Kumar Shrestha alias ‘Ghainte’ during the encounter in the capital of the nation. Ghainte, shot at his chest and thigh, was taken to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Ghaite was alleged for terrorizing local businessmen and contractors and others by extorting them in a bid to make quick bucks. Sarbendra and his team have arrested other notorious gangsters and goons.

Sarbendra and his team arrested and filed cases against two government officials, along with petrol pump owners, on the charge of their involvement in black-marketeering and fraud. On behalf of the Metropolitan Police Crime Division, the government attorney filed the case in Kathmandu District Court seeking five-year prison term against Rabin Sharma, chief of Nepal Oil Corporation’s Thankot depot and Ram Adhar Shah, joint secretary at the Ministry of Environment, along with seven petrol pump owners.

Likewise, in the leadership of Sarbendra, police arrested fugitive former Deputy Superintendent of Nepal Police Jagadish Chand in connection with the murder of media baron Jamim Shah. Spacetime Network’s chairman Shah was shot dead by an Indian underworld gang in broad daylight in the busy street of Lajimpat of the capital while he was heading toward his home in Panipokhari on February 7, 2010.

Sarbendra and his team unraveled Badikhel murder mystery after 12 years. They arrested a man on the charge of murdering five members of the same family in Khelgaun of Lalitpur district 12 years ago. Chandra Bahadur Pahari had been arrested for his alleged involvement in the murder.

Meanwhile, his team raided educational consultancies on charges of fraud, document forgery, and illegal operation. Sarbendra got a big round of applause after this raid. Those are just a few examples. Sarbendra and his team became successful to build a positive public image of the police department because of their performance. Within a very short span of time, Sarbendra Khanal became a successful and celebrity police officer and the public has honored him everywhere. During his US visit, dozens of Nepalese organizations honored him for his work.

He has proven himself as a brave and dedicated officer. Sarbendra is performing his duty as a whistleblower on organized crimes and corruption. He has established himself as most prolific police officer Nepal has known.