Mohar Singh (dacoit)

Mohar Singh Gurjar (1926 or 1927 – May 5, 2020) was a former dacoit bandit turned political leader.[1][2] He was one of the most dreaded dacoits of the Chambal valley in the 1960s. Singh had 315 cases against him, of which 85 were murder cases.[3]

Criminal career and life

He had become a dacoit after murdering a man over a property dispute in the year 1955. Mohar Singh carried a reward of 3 Lakh rupees on his head in the late 1960s and '70s. He surrendered in front of Jayaprakash Narayan in 1972 along with his gang of over 150 dacoits.[4]

At the time of his surrender, as part of the negotiation, he was promised that he would not be given a death sentence and was kept in an open prison. He was given agricultural land by the government as a means of livelihood.[3]

Politics

After serving eight years in prison Mohar Singh was released in 1980 and entered into local politics. He was elected unopposed in a local body election in 1995. He was elected to Mehgaon municipality[5] and served as a councilor for two terms in the 1990s. He was associated with Indian National Congress,[6] he later supported Bharatiya Janata Party in Madhya Pradesh.[1]

In September 2019, Singh had written a letter to the prime minister Narendra Modi for the restoration of the Bateswara temple, a historic structure, which was constructed by the Gurjara-Pratiharas.[7][8]

Death

He died on 5th May 2020 at the age of 92. He was survived by his two sons and a daughter.[4]

Mohar Singh starred in a 1982 Hindi film named, Chambal Ke Daku,[8] which marketed with the tagline: 'first time real dacoits on-screen'.[9][4]

In May 2006, it was reported that a film named Pakad was being made, featuring three dacoits Malkhan Singh, Man Singh and Mohar Singh and the story was reported to be written by M. C. Dwivedi, former chief of police of Uttar Pradesh.[10]

See also

References
  1. Vincent, Pheroze L. (April 16, 2014). "Dacoits come out in support of BJP in M.P." The Hindu.
  2. Banerjee, Poulomi (December 7, 2017). "Why Chambal's dacoits didn't ride into the sunset". Hindustan Times.
  3. Noronha, Rahul (May 7, 2020). "Yesteryears Chambal dacoit with more than 300 cases, Mohar Singh dies in MP's Mehgaon". India Today.
  4. "Notorious Indian bandit dies at 92 after stints in Bollywood and politics". The Guardian. 6 May 2020.
  5. "The curse of Chambal". Telegraph India. 7 April 2013.
  6. Singh Chauhan, Sanjeev Kumar (April 22, 2018). "मोहर सिंह गुर्जर: सबसे महंगा डाकू, जिसने जेल में खाया मुर्गा-मटन और खुलेआम खेले ताश" (in Hindi). One India.
  7. Sharma, Jeevan Prakash (30 September 2019). "Gabbar Roars Again! Save Chambal's Angkor Wat, Pleads Former Dacoit's Family". Outlook India.
  8. "Why Legacy Of Chambal Ke Daku Mohar Singh Will Live Forever". Outlook India. 25 May 2020.
  9. Ghos, Avijit (6 May 2020). "Actor Javed Khan recalls shooting 'Chambal Ke Daaku' with outlaw Mohar Singh". Times of India.
  10. "Dacoit Charm". Little India. May 12, 2006.
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