Other States - Rajasthan   

Six freed from Parihar gang after 45 days

Special Correspondent

The victims, all Brahmins, belonged to Raja Kheda tehsil of Dholpur district

JAIPUR: Six persons kidnapped in the first week of June by an inter-State gang of dacoits from the banks of the Chambal river in Dholpur district in Rajasthan have been released this weekend. There was no bloodshed as the six came out of the grip of the gang that had held them mostly confined to the ravines in bordering Madhya Pradesh for the past 45 days.

The gang of Jagjivan Parihar had altogether kidnapped eight persons who were loading sand from the riverbed to tractors at Samuna Ghat in the evening in a stealthy operation. One person managed to escape at the time of the kidnapping while yet another fled during a combing operation last month.

The kidnappings had led to protests in the area, as all the victims, who belonged to the villages of Gadi Tidawali and Ranchorpura in Raja Kheda tehsil, happened to be Brahmins. The Parihar gang, mostly operating from Madhya Pradesh, is said to specialising in the kidnapping of Brahmins.

Dholpur Superintendent of Police Prafulla Kumar said talking on the phone on Saturday that all the six captives, released from the hands of the gang, were in normal physical health though they showed symptoms of stress and trauma. "The victims were made to do all the chores for the whole gang during their captivity. They were allowed only very little sleep," he said.

The kidnapped persons were released in the ravines in Morena district of Madhya Pradesh. The police had started combing operations in the area one day before. By evening a group of persons carrying arms were spotted in the ravines. As the police party advanced, the armed men fled leaving the hostages who raised their arms and shouted their identity to the police, Mr. Kumar revealed.

Police officers commended the joint efforts of the police forces of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh for the release of the captives though the public in Dholpur holds the notion that the release took place after payment of a hefty ransom. However, Mr. Kumar denied it. "Every time when the hostages are released in the Chambal such stories appear in the media. They are poor villages.

The loans they had taken for buying their tractors are pending repayment," he observed.

The locals, who did not want to disclose their names, said an amount ranging from Rs.16.50 lakhs to Rs.25 lakhs could have been paid for the release of the captured men. The Zila Pramukh of Dholpur, Kishen Pandit had also negotiated with the contacts of the Parihar gag during the period, it is being pointed out.

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