UP chief minister Mayavati avenged the killings of five Dalits by the Chambal bandit Deep Chand alias Nadia by eliminating him and his four accomplishes including his brother-in-law Roop Singh in two separate encounters. Nadia who was famous for kidnapping and ransom of middle class traders, made headlines on 13th March’08 by killing five members of a dalit family in Aminabad village of Etawah district of UP. The opposition immediately made a hue and cry in the assembly questioning her ability to protect dalits who are her secured vote bank. The chief minister visited the village on 14th march and assured the affected family of tough action soon.
Sources said Mayavati told the district police chief to get Nadia urgently and in mid-April the forces cornered the gang. But though Nadia escaped unhurt, his three comrades including his brother-in-law were gunned down. On the run, Nadia’s luck ultimately ran out on 13th June’08 when a team of 22 policemen encircled the gang in the forests of Chambal at Takrupara on the bank of river Yamuna. As per police sources, there were six to seven dacoits in the gang but barring Nadia and his associate Sonbeer, rest managed to flee. “He fought like a wounded lion before falling to a volley of fire. Sonbeer too fell with his leader firing from his improvised rifle till the end” said a policeman. The gang faces 25 criminal cases including kidnapping and killing of a boy from Kanpur two years ago.
Etawah police superintendent S.R.Aditya said that Nadia was trying to move into the space left vacant by notorious bandits Nirbhay Gujjar and Mohan Singh of the Chambal ravine.