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Chambal dacoits have changed

Times have changed, and so have dacoits operating in the Chambal valley. Records maintained by the police in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh reveal that the dacoits have switched over to kidnappings from riskier dacoities in a big way.

The Chambal gangs led by Man Singh, Nirbhay Gujar, Raju Singh Kushwaha, Rajjan Gurjar, Ramesh Kushwaha and Ram Asrey alias Fakkar, are now employing agents who do the scouting for them to dig out potential targets. Some of these agents also carry out kidnappings and then sell the victim to the gangs who then start negotiations with the family. The targets mostly are children of the rich.

Senior officials in UP and MP, who requested anonymity, said the gangs mentioned above were involved in almost 90 per cent of the kidnappings that took place in the two states in areas neighbouring the Chambal valley last year. The worst affected towns were Kanpur, Aurraiya, Etawah and Jalaun in UP and Bhind and Muraina in MP.

In Kanpur zone alone 100 cases of kidnapping were registered in 1999, but the police claim that some of these could be missing persons. They, however, confirmed that the number of dacoities fell from 132 in 1998 to only 32 in 1999.

According to the police, dacoits prefer kidnappings because these are safer operations compared to dacoities. In a majority of cases, victims' parents do not even inform the police for the fear of inviting harm to the child.

Also, police sources pointed out, it is easier to detect dacoities as villagers readily come forward with information. However, this is not the case with kidnappings.

UP Deputy Inspector General of Police A K Mitra said his department was now changing its strategy seeking more cooperation with MP.

The Chambal valley is spread across the two states and some parts of it fall in Rajasthan. Dacoits after committing a crime can easily cross over into the neighbouring state.

Senior police officials of MP and UP met on Monday to chalk out a joint action plan to check the rise in kidnapping cases. Sources said it was decided at the meeting to link the police departments in the two states through wireless of the same frequency. Officials of the rank of superintendent of police would be the nodal in-charge in the affected districts.

Police stations in the vulnerable areas would also be equipped with the latest weapons. State police of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, seven units of the Provincial Armed Constabulary and six units of the Rapid Action Force would be involved in this operation. Subsequently, Rajasthan too would be involved in the operation.

UNI

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