Politics on his mind?

Bhagar shot into prominence in 1984 after he allegedly shot dead four killers of his brother Lachhan Yadav 8212; a dreaded criminal himself. There was no stopping him after that. He had arrived with a bang in a district that holds the dubious distinction of being the pioneer of the kidnapping industry 8212; it is also famous for being home to Gandhi8217;s Satyagraha. Bhagar had arrived to carry forward the legacy of criminals like Basudev Yadav and Nema Yadav 8212; not his relatives 8212; who were founders of the Jungle Party.

Bhagar initially had taken over as just another criminal from a poor background. However, in the 8217;90s, he accumulated both wealth and political clout.

Police officers posted in the district say that the fugitive had his informers in the police and any move of the police against him was promptly leaked to him. 8220;Once he got to know of our plan, it was very difficult to track him in the vast riverine area8221;, says one officer. In these three decades the police could not even arrange a proper photograph of the dreaded fugitive.

Bhagar and his gang members were known to share a generally genial relationship with a large section of the police force. According to local lore, policemen of the Sri Nagar police station situated in his area of control in the riverine area were dependent on him for their survival. In that inhospitable area, Bhagar supplied them with quality rice, curd and vegetables.

For some years now, Bhagar had been spreading his tentacles in the political arena 8212; not directly but through his family members. He got his brother Sattan Yadav to contest the assembly polls in 1995 from Nautan; he was elected as an independent. Sattan8217;s wife also contested the polls but was unsuccessful. In the second leg, Bhagar8217;s son Amar Yadav was elected as chairman of the district board and his wife Renu Devi became a panchayat samiti member. The son unsuccessfully contested the last two assembly polls on the RJD ticket. Some other relatives also joined the RJD and other political parties .

Now that Bhagar has come out of his den, there is talk that he might be looking for a share in the political pie. But it seems difficult. He will have to face trial in over a hundred criminal cases relating to murder, abduction and loot pending against him. Bhagar8217;s gang members, however, are still at large. It is believed that they may come to his aid by scaring away witnesses who would depose against him. That may well set the stage for a new beginning for the 55-year-old Bhagar, this time in politics.