Murder and kidnapping carried out by a gang of armed outlaws are examples of dacoity. Studies of the activity levels of dacoit gangs over the last 20 years suggest that violent and frequent police resistance to criminal gangs only stimulates their activity level. Violence alone appears inadequate to root out deviant practices which have historically developed into a quasilegitimate, stable, pervasive institution in society. Continued existence of the dacoity system is attributable to deficiencies in the police force, such as imbalance between the responsibility and power of law enforcement officers, questionable loyalty of police officials, and inconsistency in the application of coercion. Furthermore, dacoity has long been a socially recognized activity with general support. Dacoits have always justified their violent acts by claiming that they were seeking to liberate the land from alien power. Recently, the principle of nonviolence has been extended to the correction and treatment of criminals. According to this approach, dacoits are persuaded to repudiate evil and to pursue a decent life; rehabilitation is provided to the families of converted dacoits. The most recent mass surrender of dacoits in 1972 met with some success. However, the use of nonviolence calls for great caution and wisdom. Footnotes, tables and 19 references are supplied.