Rajgarh: Dotted with palatial bungalows and sprawling campuses, a cluster of three villages stands out as an outlier in Madhya Pradesh’s Rajgarh district on economic prosperity. Just that it is powered by activities on the wrong side of the law.
The recent theft of valuables worth Rs 1.45 crore by a 14-year-old boy during a wedding at a five-star hotel in Rajasthan capital Jaipur brought these villages – Kadiya Sansi, Gulkhedi and Hulkhedi – into prominence on the national crime map.
The local police estimate that 1,000-1,200 criminal cases have been registered across the country against boys, men, girls and women from these villages. With a population of about 5,000, Kadiya Sansi is the epicentre of the illegal activities.
But, it’s not easy for enforcement agencies to make arrests here. A police team from Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore, under security cover of the local cops, was attacked in Gulkhedi, under Boda police station, during one such attempt on August 10.
“Local cases are few but the people of these villages, especially Kadiya Sansi, face criminal cases in different parts of the country. We learn about those only when outside police contact us. There must be 1,000-1,200 cases registered against these people across India,” Boda police station in-charge Ramkumar Bhagat told PTI.
Bhagat said that the lure of easy money drives the residents of these three villages, about 50 km from district headquarters, to break the law.
“They get easy money through loot, theft and other crimes. They appear to inspire one another. Since most of these people are associated with it (crimes), there is no one to stop it. Women are more expert in this field than men,” he said.
Bhagat said that a local police team was also attacked with stones when it accompanied their counterparts from Tamil Nadu to find out about the accused in a crime committed in Coimbatore.
A search is underway to track down those who hurled stones at the police team, he said.
Asked about reports that outsiders are also being trained at Kadiya Sansi village for stealing, theft and other criminal activities, Bhagat claimed ignorance, saying the people from this village cluster carry out recce before committing crimes.
However, this is not the first time a police team has come under attack in these villages, also notorious for illegal liquor trading.
Mohan Singh, sarpanch of Kadiya Sansi village, claimed that the people are well educated and work in different jobs in major cities.
“There may be some people who could be involved in such incidents. But the people here are well educated and 2-3 persons from every household work in big cities. Our children are studying in good private schools,” Singh told PTI over the phone.
The village head rejected the reports about the area being a breeding ground for criminal activities. There is no truth in those reports, he said.
Singh also denied the reports about “training” being given by the people of these villages to children to make them experts in committing crimes.
Asked about the Jaipur theft involving a minor and Rs 1.45 crore valuables, Singh said the boy might not have imagined what was in the bag that he picked. He must have thought he would get Rs 10,000-20,000 for pocket expenses, said Singh.
“Everyone in the village has land and properties. We are not terrorists. All want their children to be educated. This is an era of technology. Those who were involved earlier in such crimes are gone. Nobody can defeat the administration and police,” he said.
However, police records present a contrasting version.
Over the past six months, police have arrested 25 members of the Kadiya gang and seized goods and valuables worth Rs 4.37 crore from their possession, officials said.
Rajgarh Superintendent of Police (SP) Aditya Mishra said the people of Kadiya Sansi are active in criminal activities not only in MP but also in other states.
Referring to the Jaipur heist, Mishra said a 14-year-old boy allegedly stole a bag with jewellery and valuables worth Rs 1.45 crores during the wedding of the son of a Telangana businessman at a five-star hotel in the Rajasthan capital on August 8.
By the time the groom’s mother learnt about the theft, the boy and his associate had fled from the venue, he said.
After getting the information from their Rajasthan peers, Rajgarh police caught the accused within 24 hours, he said.