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Journalism of Courage
Forest brigand Veerappan may be dead, but Chambal’s terror, Nirbhay Singh Gujjar, continues to cock a snook at the authorities here. Two days before Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav’s visit to Jhansi for a review of the law and order situation there, eight farmers were kidnapped from the area by Gujjar’s gang late last night.
The farmers were kidnapped from Daulatpur village in Jalaun district of Jhansi division.
Sources said that Chandan Yadav, an associate of Gujjar, first faked the kidnapping of a villager, Mast Ram, last night. As news of the kidnapping by dacoits spread, villagers informed the police at Kathuana. The villagers, along with the police, then entered the jungle to look for Mast Ram. As the police left the area, 15 villagers were waylaid by Gujjar’s gang and kidnapped.
Early this morning, Gujjar set free seven of the kidnapped villagers but there was no news of the rest when reports last came in. Police said that most of the kidnapped villagers were Yadavs and it might have something to do with the fact that Gujjar has been seeking to put pressure on the Mulayam Singh Yadav government to agree to his surrender offer.
Mast Ram, police said, worked as an informer for Gujjar but the villagers had no knowledge about this.
