E-Paper
Police apprehensive as Chambal braces up for polls
With elections round the corner, the police in dacoit-infested Chambal region are keeping their fingers crossed as the last Assembly elections had witnessed large-scale violence.
With elections round the corner, the police in dacoit-infested Chambal region of the state are keeping their fingers crossed as the last Assembly elections had witnessed large-scale violence leading to several casualties in the dreaded ravines.
Despite the unprecedented security measures undertaken by the police, there has been recent spurt in activities of dacoits in the districts falling under the Chambal range.
No less than a dozen gangs of dacoits that are armed with sophisticated weapons operate in the ravines with Dayaram Gadaria, Nirbhay Gujar and Hazrat Rawat gangs being the most notorious ones. "The gangs not only maintain terror through killings and abductions for ransom but also wield influence among the people, particularly, their caste groups," says a senior intelligence official.
"The dacoits have not issued any diktat for voting in favour of a candidate as yet but their proximity to candidate of a party does affect the voting pattern in the region of their influence and their community," he adds.
The Bhind district has 1,114 polling booths with 447 of them being sensitive (40.1%). Similarly, the number of polling booths labeled sensitive in Morena is 380 out of the total 1,104 (roughly 35%). The region has a history of poll-related violence. No wonder the police are treading with extra-caution and large force, including the paramilitary forces, are pressed into service. For the first time, the BSF has been deployed.
"The additional force comprising the Special Armed Force (SAF), CRPF, BSF and SSB personnel have been deployed in the region," says IG (Law and Order) MR Krishna. "There will be 12 extra companies in Bhind and seven in Morena to ensure peaceful polls," he added. "The police took extensive measures in advance and the district borders were sealed much ahead of elections so that the entry of troublemakers could be restricted," added IG Krishna.
9 gangs active
As many as nine gangs of dacoits operate in the Chambal ravines. The most notorious include the gang of Dayaram Gadaria who carries a reward of Rs 2.5 lakh on his head. The gangs of Nirbhay Gujar, Hazrat Rawat, Ramesh Jatav, Mewaram Jatav and Raghuvir Yadav are other bandit groups, who wield terror in the region.
Nirbhay carries a reward of Rs 75,000 on his head while Rawat carries Rs 50,000 reward on his head. Janak Singh Tomar, Shiv Raj Singh and Ramswaroom Gujar gangs are no less feared. Besides, the gangs listed in UP also operate in Madhya Pradesh. These gangs, include Shiv Kumar alias Dadua, Rajjan Gujar, Salim Gujar alias Salim, Dhansingh Dheemar and Bharat Kurmi.