Dreaded dacoit keeps Rajasthan cops on toes

Yash Goyal

Jaipur, June 16

It seems the Chambal ravines are still not ‘dacoit-free’ in Rajasthan after relentless years of anti-dacoit operations as incidents of firing in the open, thrashing shopkeepers, assaulting women and kids, and beating men were going rampant in Dholpur’s Dang and villages in the past five days.

After getting bail earlier this month, dreaded dacoit Jagan Gurjar and his accomplices are still elusive causing unabated terror in 50 villages of Basai-Dang surrounded by Chambal ravines in three districts of Dholpur, Karauli Sawaimadhopur in Rajasthan.

During the exchange of fire with Jagan’s gang members twice in the last three days, the Rajasthan police are groping in the dark (ravines) to catch Jagan back from his hideouts by deploying hundreds of armed cops and units of Emergency Response Team (ERT).

Notorious Chambal bandit Jagan, who surrendered before the police three times in 2001, 2009 and 2018, has now posed a major challenge to people of 50 small villages of Basai-Dang and given sleepless nights to the cops that held two cross-firing incidents with Jagan’s accomplices Ram Vilas-Bharat and Pappu bandits.

“We have strengthened the information network, activated the force to meet any eventuality, conducting raids, building pressure on fleeing dacoits, including Jagan. During cops’ visit to the Dang areas, people have been told to live freely and extend their cooperation by providing information to the police, if they have any”, Additional DGP-Vigilance Govind Gupta who had toured the dacoit-affected district on Friday and Saturday told The Tribune today.

“The police had two encounters with some dacoits of Gagan’s gang and there was no casualty. We will arrest him again later or soon as a number of combing operations are underway 24x7”, Gupta said. He also met the families of victims and assured them of all help and police support.  Jagan is facing over 102 dacoit, firing, murder and related cases in various police stations of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh since 1994.