Rajasthan : Sultana dacoit is considered to be the first and most famous dacoit of the 20th century. There are not many facts available about Sultana Daku, but in some information it has been told that there is a ruined fort in Najibabad of Bijnor district in Uttar Pradesh which is called Sultana Daku Fort. Some writers believe that Sultana dacoity had been wreaking havoc in Uttar Pradesh around 1920.
2-Man Singh
Chambal’s notorious dacoit Man Singh Rathore, born in Kheda village of Agra district, was the most feared dacoit of his time. To free people from the fear of Man Singh, Madhya Pradesh Police had conducted an encounter in Bhind district of the state in 1955. Even today, Maan Singh’s name is taken among the notorious dacoits of Chambal.
3-Paan Singh Tomar
Paan Singh Tomar was an Indian Army soldier and an athlete. Paan Singh Tomar had expertise in running for which he was honored many times. But after retirement from the army, when he reached his village, due to some circumstances he became a dacoit and spread terror in the Chambal valley. Paan Singh was killed in a police encounter in 1981.
4-Phoolan Devi
Born in a poor family, Phoolan Devi was married in childhood but she left her husband and entered into the world of crime with her associates. Phoolan Devi came into limelight when she made 22 people of Rajput caste of Bahamai village stand in a lane and shot them. Phoolan Devi later became an MP but was shot dead by her enemies in 2001.
5-Veerappan
Bandit Veerappan, known as sandalwood smuggler, had spread terror in about six thousand square kilometers of forested area of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala of South India. Veerappan, who smuggled sandalwood and ivory, was in trouble with the Tamil Nadu government. Veerappan, who was under the shadow of terror for more than two decades, was killed in a police encounter in 2004.
6-Dadua
Dacoit Shiv Kumar Patel alias Dadua, who was synonymous with terror in Bundelkhand for almost two decades, had created terror in the forests of Manikpur and Satna. Dadua had spread terror among the people through extortion, robbery, dacoity and murder. Dadua was killed on 22 July 2007 but till now people have not forgotten his horror.
7-Nirbhay Gurjar
The last dacoit of Jambal Valley of Madhya Pradesh, which was infamous for its notorious dacoits, was Nirbhay Gurjar. In the thirty-year criminal career of Nirbhay Gurjar, more than 205 cases were registered against him. The government had announced a reward of Rs 2.5 lakh for Nirbhay’s capture.
8-Limit Avoidance
Seema Parihar, born in Auraiya, Uttar Pradesh, was kidnapped from her village by a dacoit named Lala Ram when she was 13 years old. Seema became a dacoit by staying in Lala Ram’s gang and married Nirbhay Gurjar. But later she started running her own gang. After killing 70 people, kidnapping 200 people and robbing more than 30 houses in her 18 years of criminal life, Seema surrendered herself to the UP Police in 2000 and entered politics.
