Dacoits survived by hunting and eating animals in Rajgarh:Wild boars found hanging in jungle; 225 cops conduct overnight operation

A gang of armed criminals carried out a series of thefts and robberies in Rajgarh’s Sarafa (jewellery) market on the night of December 24–25, triggering panic among traders and residents in the fort area. More than 10 criminals, armed with pistols, guns, crowbars and slingshots, targeted jewellery shops one after another amid intense cold and fog. The gang looted goods worth around ₹14 lakh and fired shots while fleeing. During the incident, an elderly trader was seriously attacked and three youths who chased the criminals were injured. Following a two-day search operation deep inside forest areas of Guna district, police arrested three members of the notorious Pardi gang. The operation exposed disturbing details about how the accused were hiding in forests, surviving by killing wild animals and avoiding human contact. Read the full report.. How the crime unfolded? According to police, the incident occurred in the intervening night of December 24 and 25. The criminals entered Rajgarh’s fort area and moved straight towards the jewellery market. They were carrying slingshots, crowbars, pistols and firearms. Despite the cold and late hour, they carried out the crime methodically, targeting shops one after another. The first shop they broke into belonged to jeweller Rajendra Vijayvargiya. The criminals forced entry, stole about one kilogram of silver, three tola gold and more than ₹3 lakh in cash. After committing the theft, they vandalised CCTV cameras and equipment inside the shop to erase evidence. The shop is located in a residential area where tenants live upstairs and the shop owner’s house is nearby, yet the gang operated without fear. Second jewellery shop looted After the first theft, the gang moved to Sri Bageshwar Jewellers, owned by Sachin Soni. Here too, they broke the lock, damaged the iron safe and escaped with around ₹32,000 in cash, approximately 200 grams of silver and jewellery-making tools. By this time, the gang had become more aggressive and confident. Elderly trader attacked while sleeping The criminals then attempted to break into the licensed pawn shop of 75-year-old Gopalchand Soni, located just a few steps away. Gopalchand Soni was sleeping inside the shop when he heard noises from the shutter. As he raised an alarm, the criminals pushed an iron rod through the shutter, injuring his leg. Sensing danger, the elderly trader locked an additional latch from inside and continued shouting, which prevented the criminals from opening the shutter completely. His presence of mind saved his life. He later told police that without the second lock, the criminals could have entered and caused fatal injuries. Firing and stone pelting during escape As residents woke up due to the commotion, the criminals fled towards the Banswara area. While escaping, they stole a bike parked outside a house. Amit Mewade spotted them and raised an alarm. Along with two other youths, he chased the criminals. The gang retaliated by pelting stones using slingshots and firing shots from pistols. Kamal Mewade suffered a serious eye injury due to a stone hit, Amit Mewade was injured on his back, and another youth sustained injuries to his waist. Despite being injured, Amit Mewade managed to knock down one criminal with a rod, but another accused fired a shot, forcing them to retreat. The gang escaped towards the highway on numberless bikes parked near a crematorium. Eyewitness accounts from the market Several eyewitnesses described the scene as terrifying. Pandit Narsingh Lal Lashkari, a 75-year-old priest living at the Laxmikant Temple in the market area, said he saw multiple criminals roaming freely. Two of them warned him to stay inside. Without switching on lights, he alerted neighbours by phone. Hardware shop owner Murtaza Ali Bohra stated that when he raised an alarm after seeing criminals trying to break Gopalchand Soni’s shutter, he was targeted with stones fired from a slingshot, injuring his shoulder. Multiple cases registered, reward announced Following the incident, Rajgarh police registered four separate cases, including theft, robbery, attempt to murder and offences under the Arms Act. Given the seriousness of the crime, police announced a reward of ₹1.20 lakh for information leading to the arrest of the accused. SP Amit Tolani said the manner of execution, weapons used and crime pattern indicated that this was not the work of a local gang. Pardi gang comes under police radar CCTV footage, technical analysis and the use of slingshots during the crime led police to suspect the involvement of the Pardi gang. The gang is notorious across several states for theft, robbery and hiding in forests after committing crimes. Examination of mobile tower data, old crime records and inputs from informers confirmed the gang’s involvement. Hiding in dense forests of Guna Police received information that the accused were hiding in the dense forests of Bilas Samarsingha under Dharnavada police station area in Guna district. The area is remote, hilly and densely forested, with almost no road access or mobile network. Based on this information, police formed a special task force under “Operation Special 75”. 40-hour search operation in harsh conditions SP Amit Tolani said a total of 75 police personnel from multiple police stations were deployed initially. Five teams conducted a continuous search operation covering nearly 20 kilometres of forest area over 40 hours. The operation continued through cold nights, fog and difficult terrain. As the teams felt threatened due to the possibility of armed confrontation, an additional 150 personnel were deployed, taking the total strength to 225. Due to lack of mobile connectivity, coordination was challenging. Searches were conducted using torchlight throughout the night. Early on Monday morning, police spotted the suspects hiding deep inside the forest. Teams were instructed to cordon off the area from all sides and prepare for a raid while most of the accused were asleep. 3 arrested, others escape During the raid, all gang members attempted to flee. Due to dense fog and forest cover, several managed to escape. However, three accused were apprehended. They were identified as: During interrogation, all three confessed to involvement in the Rajgarh thefts, robbery and firing incidents. Shocking scene inside the jungle Police teams witnessed disturbing scenes at the hideout. The accused were sleeping under the open sky in extreme cold, using makeshift bedding. A bonfire was found burning at the site. Animal bones were scattered around. More than six wild boars were found dead and hanging from a tree. Portions of their bodies were missing, indicating they had been eaten. Police learned during interrogation that the gang planned to remain hidden in the forest for a long time and killed wild animals for food, consuming the meat both raw and cooked to avoid venturing out. Weapons, cash and vehicles recovered From the spot and the accused, police recovered one gun, 15 live cartridges (12 bore), ₹30,000 in cash, six motorcycles, one slingshot, pellets and materials used in theft and robbery. The total value of recovered items is estimated at around ₹2.5 lakh. Criminal history of gang leader Police records revealed that Jiva Pardi has multiple cases registered against him under theft, robbery, Arms Act and Gangster Act in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand. Dozens of cases are registered against him in Guna and neighbouring districts alone. Police believe the arrest is a significant step towards dismantling the gang’s network. Police faced extreme risk during operation SP Amit Tolani said the search operation lasted two days, during which officers went without food or water for nearly 20 hours. The accused group was estimated to include 12–15 armed members. The jungle terrain was unfamiliar, hilly and extremely dense. Visibility was limited to barely three metres due to thick vegetation. Teams climbed hills at night without vehicle lights or torches to avoid detection. Informers and local residents provided crucial support, as villagers had long complained about harassment by the gang. Investigation continues for absconding accused Police are continuing efforts to identify and arrest the remaining gang members who escaped during the raid. CCTV footage and technical evidence are being examined to trace their movement. Officials said the operation demonstrated coordination, courage and persistence by the police force under dangerous conditions. Further action will be taken under relevant legal provisions as the investigation progresses.