Mendonca was addressing a batch of commandos, just trained in special combative skills, under retired Colonel M P Choudhary. Mendonca said, ``Over the years, more than 20 policemen have died in skirmishes with criminals. The aim of the training is to avert casualty on our side. No more death of policemen in the line of duty.''

Mendonca said when he had joined the force some three decades ago, criminals were using rampuri knife, dagger, or gupti (stiletto). With advancement in technology, the criminals now used AKs, stenguns, and grenades.

After training four batches of special operation squads, Choudhary finished training the second batch from various police stations. So far, some 225 policemen from many police stations andwings of the Mumbai police have been trained in various methods of combat. In the latest batch, over 40 officers, including two women, successfully finished the training. The training was at the police training school at Marol, while the demonstration was at the police firing range in the hills of Ghatkopar.

The trained commandos demonstrated their short range firing skills, quick successive shots, and other firing techniques, using weapons like carbine, 0.9mm pistol, AK-47, and self-loading rifles. Besides shooting, the policemen were made fearless against gun shots, which Choudhary termed as ``inoculation against bullet shots''. Another part of the training was ``hostage rescue situation'' in circumstances where terrorists are holed up in a flat. The policemen were also taught unarmed combat -- martial arts and physical fights.