Kids as younger as 12 or 13 are despatched to those villages for coaching
Bhopal:
Three distant villages in Madhya Pradesh – Kadia, Gulkhedi, and Hulkhedi – have gained nationwide infamy as “nurseries” of criminals.
Located about 117 kilometers from the state capital, Bhopal, these villages within the Rajgarh district are recognized for coaching kids within the “arts of theft, theft, and dacoity”.
The police, even with their authority, are recognized to tread rigorously on this area.
The Starting Of Crime
Kids as younger as 12 or 13 are despatched to those villages by their dad and mom to be educated in felony actions. The dad and mom, after assembly with gang leaders, resolve who can present the very best “schooling” for his or her youngster. To enroll on this grim curriculum, households pay a payment starting from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 3 lakh.
The kids are taught varied felony abilities equivalent to pickpocketing, snatching baggage in crowded locations, operating quick, evading the police, and likewise enduring beatings if caught.
After finishing a 12 months within the gang, the kid’s dad and mom obtain an annual cost of Rs 3 to lakh Rs 5 lakh from the gang chief.
The “Grand Theft”
These villages have produced a number of the most crafty thieves, whose felony actions have made headlines throughout India.
On August 8, a lavish vacation spot marriage ceremony on the Hyatt Lodge in Jaipur took a darkish flip when a minor thief made off with a bag containing jewellery price Rs 1.5 crore and Rs 1 lakh in money. The grand occasion was the marriage of the son of a Hyderabad-based businessman.
Because the ceremony unfolded and the bride and groom had been being blessed, the groom’s mom positioned her white bag close by. Seizing the chance, the minor thief discreetly stole the bag, making off with the precious contents.
After committing the theft, his gang fled to Kadiya village within the Rajgarh district. To keep away from suspicion, they shortly disposed of the stolen jewellery after which tried to mix in by collaborating in a Kanwar Yatra, a non secular pilgrimage.
Their plan may need succeeded if not for the swift investigation that adopted. Finally, the minor concerned within the theft was arrested, resulting in the publicity of your entire gang.
In one other incident,24-year-old Ravindra Sisodia stole a bag of bijou at a marriage in Gurgaon in March.
In December 2023, Yash Sisodia, 22, stole a bag full of bijou at a marriage ceremony in Delhi and fled, including to his document of 18 circumstances registered towards him in numerous states.
Challenges For Police
Jaideep Prasad, the Further Director Normal of Police of Legislation and Order, mentioned that the Rajgarh district is understood for harboring villages the place criminals function with impunity.
“Not too long ago, the Jaipur Police Commissioner contacted me concerning this main theft. Jewellery price round Rs 1.5 crore was stolen at a marriage, and we had causes to consider the culprits had been from Rajgarh. We instantly developed data and started coordinating with different states,” he mentioned.
He mentioned that these criminals are so expert that they will assess the worth of bijou with out even visiting a jeweler. Their main actions embody coaching kids to steal, gamble, and promote liquor.
Mr Prasad emphasised that fast motion and cooperation between state police forces have led to vital breakthroughs in such circumstances.
One other senior police officer described the challenges confronted by legislation enforcement in these areas.
“When we now have to go to those villages, we take the drive of a number of police stations with us to apprehend the accused,” Ramkumar Bhagat, the Inspector of the Boda police station, mentioned. “These criminals are extremely educated in bag lifting, financial institution thefts, and different crimes, usually utilizing minors underneath the age of 17 to hold out their actions.”
He mentioned that these villages, notably Kadiya, Gulkhedi, and Hulkhedi, are sometimes called “nurseries” or “faculties” of crime, the place kids are groomed from a younger age to turn out to be skilled thieves.
“Many of the thefts are carried out by minors, making it much more difficult to fight this deeply ingrained felony tradition,” Mr Bhagat mentioned.
These villages are shrouded in secrecy and suspicion. Girls, upon seeing any outsider, faux to be exhausting of listening to.
If an unfamiliar particular person enters the village, the residents instantly turn out to be alert, particularly once they discover a digital camera or cell phone. The setting is hostile to any type of scrutiny, reflecting the deep-rooted felony tradition.
These villages, situated within the Pachor tehsil of Rajgarh district, have turn out to be a hotspot for police forces from throughout the nation.
Mr Bhagat stories that over 300 kids from these villages are concerned in thefts at marriage ceremony ceremonies throughout varied states. These gangs are extremely organized, conducting thorough recces earlier than adopting revolutionary ways to hold out their crimes.
Rich people throughout the village additionally rent poor kids for 1-2 years via bidding processes that may attain as much as Rs 20 lakh.
As soon as educated, these kids usually earn 5 to 6 instances the funding, after which they’re launched from the gangs.
The size of this felony operation is very large, with greater than 2,000 people from these villages having over 8,000 circumstances registered towards them in police stations throughout the nation.
These kids sometimes come from much less educated and impoverished households, however they’re groomed to mix in with the prosperous, enabling them to infiltrate high-profile occasions.
