Fauja, a thorn in the flesh of Indore police

He is the biggest challenge for Indore police and their ‘goonda drive’. The police are desperately searching for him for the last couple of months and have conducted dozens of raids, but every time he manages to give them the slip.

He is the biggest challenge for Indore police and their ‘goonda drive’.

The-police-have-stepped-up-the-offensive-against-Fauja-after-he-entered-into-a-shootout-in-Raoji-Bazar-area-with-a-rival-gang-a-few-days-ago-HT-file-photo

The police are desperately searching for him for the last couple of months and have conducted dozens of raids, but every time he manages to give them the slip.

The don in making, Sarfaraz alias Fauja has become a thorn in the flesh of Indore police.

Fauja, a notorious criminal of Raoji Bazar and Kotwali area in the walled city, is infamous for his shooting sprees.

He his addicted to nitravet (alprazolam) and commits most of his violent acts when he is high on the drug.

He is booked under the charges of murder and more than a dozen serious offences including murder attempt and extortion.

On Friday night again, on a tip-off more than 50 policemen and officers cordoned off the entire Mhow area for hours to arrest him, but he still managed to escape.

"We had arrested him once, but this time whatever information we are getting is reaching us late and by the time the raid takes place he moves on to a new place. Part of the reason might be because he opened fire at people whom he suspected to be the police informers and therefore people are hesitating to inform us and secondly he comes to the city only for an hour or two and then leaves quickly," said ASP crime branch Dilip Soni.

The police have stepped up the offensive against Fauja after he entered into a shootout in Raoji Bazar area with a rival gang a few days ago.

Incidentally, that was the day when the new DIG, Santosh Kumar Singh, took charge in Indore.

"All he (Fauja) wants is to become the don of the city. His brutal and ambitious nature is very dangerous for us," said a trader of the area on the condition on anonymity.

"It is the tradition of a city that after a goonda commits a vicious crime and gets attention of media and people, he starts extorting money from shopkeepers,” said a police officer, who was once chasing him, but has now been transferred to another city.

The police officer said Fauja is “not that big a criminal”, but knows how to gain popularity. He does many things to remain in the vernacular media and now he is also using social media to remain visible.

"Recently, he circulated a video on WhatsApp showing him holding guns,” Soni said.

Fauja came into limelight after his brother, Sageer, was sentenced in a murder case in 2012. Within hours of the sentence, Fauja and his five accomplices had gone berserk in the city.

High on a cocktail of liquor and nitravet, riding on bikes, they had shot a man to death and injured four persons on the city roads during the course of the night. Since then Fauja has not looked back.

Don’s strength

According to police, he has a strong will power and ‘kismat’ or destiny

He is fit and well-aware of each and every by-lanes of the city

He is well connected to his sympathisers in other districts of the region

He enters the city for some hours and by the time police get information, he leaves the city, said a senior officer