Latest news with #Alwar-based
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
‘Looteri Dulhan' cons Alwar family, decamps with cash, jewellery soon after wedding; 7 held
Prayagraj: The dreams of an Alwar-based family, who solemnised the wedding of their son in Sangam City on Thursday, turned into a nightmare on the same evening. What began as a celebration of love and new beginnings quickly spiralled into a chilling tale of betrayal, deception and theft. The bride vanished hours after the ceremony, with cash and jewellery. On Thursday, during the return of baraat to Alwar from the city, the bride stepped out of the car on the pretext of attending nature's call near a petrol pump and escaped. The groom and family searched for the bride and later approached Khuldabad police to lodge a complaint. However, when the family of the groom showed documents, including the Aadhaar card of the bride, to the police, all of them were found to be fake. Khuldabad police inspector Surendra Verma told TOI, "Akbarpur (Alwar) based Gopal Gujar approached the police on Friday and narrated that he had solemnised his son's marriage at a local temple in Prayagraj and the bride went missing on same day during the return of the baraat." He also complained that the family of the bride had taken Rs 1.75 lakh from him on the pretext of arranging marriage and gave fake documents, including Aadhaar card. After lodging the FIR under the appropriate sections of BNS, cops were stunned to know that the 'looteri dulhan', was a mother of four kids and had a list of fake relatives. The SHO claimed that the groom's family also paid Rs 20,000 to a Rajasthan-based broker who facilitated the match, claiming the bride came from a poor background and needed help with wedding expenses. The marriage was held at a local temple in the city with full fanfare, with all traditional customs and rituals. Investigations helped the police to bust an interstate 'looteri dulhan' gang and arrest seven of its members, including four 'looteri dulhans', near Ghanshyam Nagar railway crossing on Saturday evening while planning to escape. Police also seized six fake Aadhaar cards and Rs 35,000 from them. The arrested persons were identified as Shahana (32) of Tulsi Nagar, Nisha (35) of Peepalgav, Mamta Bhartiya (30) of Jhunsi, Preeti Devi (34) of Peepalgav, Aashif Khan (27) of Shahganj, Mohd Junail (56) of Darashah Ajmal, and Shri Ram Gurjar (31) of Alwar. The SHO said Shri Ram Gurjar was the broker who brought family to Prayagraj for marriage of Gopal Gurjar's son. He showed the photo of Shahana, a widow and mother of four kids, and told the family her name was Preeti. When cops checked the details of the Aadhaar card given by the bride, she was found to be Shahana, wife of the late Gulam Nabi. She managed to get a fake Aadhaar card in the name of Preeti. When cops dealt with Shahana strictly, she spilled the beans and exposed the entire racket, admitting to cheating more than 20 men. Interestingly, after the 'bidai' of the bride was done, the gang members used to chase the car of the bride and managed to take her back whenever vehicles stopped at a petrol pump for refuelling or the bride asked to attend a nature's call. If this modus operandi failed, they would reach the groom's house within two days of the wedding and insist on 'bidai'. The racketeers were perfect in playing their roles and responsibilities. While 56-year-old Mohd Zunail used to play the role of the father, Ashrif was assigned the role of the brother. Similarly, Shahana, Nisha, Mamta, and Preeti (who were already married) used to play the role of brides. Investigations also revealed that all racketeers had fake Aadhaar cards, and the relatives who attended the wedding as her maternal uncle and aunt were impostors. Cops, however, suspect the involvement of a larger gang operating similar cons and are now pursuing leads to identify and apprehend the culprits.
Time of India
25-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
In Chambal, ex-dacoits' wives turn water warriors to battle drought
KARAULI (RAJASTHAN): Until about 15 years ago, Sampatti Devi and many women like her in Rajasthan's Karauli district lived in constant fear, dreading the day their husbands might not return home. Repeated droughts, driven in part by declining rainfall linked to climate change, had turned their lands barren. Water sources dried up, crippling agriculture and animal husbandry, the lifeblood of their livelihood. With no other way to survive, many men were forced into dacoity, hiding in jungles and risking their lives every day to evade police. Karauli's average annual rainfall dropped from 722.1mm (1951-2000) to 563.94mm (2001-2011), according to govt data. But in the 2010s, something remarkable happened. The women, weary of fear and despair, resolved to reclaim their lives. They convinced their husbands to come out of the jungles and give up arms. Together, they began reviving old, dried-up ponds and constructing new pokhars (water bodies) with the help of Tarun Bharat Sangh (TBS), an Alwar-based NGO dedicated to water conservation since 1975. "I would have been dead by now. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 40대 이상이세요? 한 번 시작하면 멈출 수 없어요. 준비되셨나요? Sea of Conquest 플레이하기 Undo She convinced me to come back and start farming again," recalled Jagdish, Sampatti's husband, now 58, who surrendered his weapons and chose peace. Pooling every penny earned over the years by selling milk, they built a pokhar at the base of a hill near their village, Alampur, in 2015-16. When the rains came, the pokhar was filled and for the first time in years, their family had enough water to sustain them for a longer period. "Now, we grow mustard, wheat, pearl millet and vegetables," says Sampatti, sitting proudly on the pokhar's embankment. She even rents it out for water chestnut cultivation, earning about Rs 1 lakh each season. Over the years, TBS and the local community have together built 16 such pokhars in the forest surrounding the village and around 500 across district, each capturing runoff from the slopes, preventing droughts and floods. Karauli, once among Rajasthan's worst-hit dacoit areas, witnessed a transformation. The district is part of Chambal region, which extends across Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. It has historically been notorious for dacoity due to its rugged terrain, ravines and forests that provided hideouts for dacoits. "With community-led conservation efforts, stability is returning," said Karauli SP Brijesh Jyoti Upadhyay. He said rainfall in the region is erratic and leads to periods of both water scarcity and intense short-term downpours. "Karauli faces droughts during dry times and flash floods when it rains heavily, like last year, when the monsoon brought over 1,900 mm of rain." Sumit Dookia, an associate professor at Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University & a native of Rajasthan, said the rocky terrain makes water run off quickly and stops it from soaking into the ground. "With all this going on, smart water management is really important." The wave of conservation in Karauli has transformed Serni, once a seasonal river, into a perennial one. Just a decade ago, the river would run dry after Diwali, leaving people desperate for water. "Now, it holds water even at the peak of summer, thanks to around 150 water harvesting structures constructed along its entire length and breadth. The groundwater level has risen to just 5 to 10 feet below the surface," said TBS' Ranveer Singh. Forty years ago, he said, the river flowed all year round, but overuse and climate change had left it dry. With no options left, some men migrated to cities in search of work while others turned to mining or dacoity. "Illegal mining exposed them to lethal silica dust, causing silicosis, a painful and incurable lung disease. Many did not live past 40," said Rajendra Singh, a Magsaysay Award and Stockholm Water Prize-winning water conservationist who leads TBS. A 2013 study by National Institute of Miners' Health found that 74% of surveyed sandstone workers in Karauli suffered from silicosis. Now, on a scorching May afternoon, water shimmers in Karauli's ponds and pokhars. Serni river flows gently, with children splashing and cattle grazing along its banks. "A decade ago, no one would have imagined this. But our women made this possible!" said Ranveer.
The Print
25-05-2025
- General
- The Print
In Rajasthan's Chambal, wives of ex-dacoits lead revival of water sources and hope
With no other way to survive, many men were forced into dacoity, hiding in jungles and risking their lives every day to evade police. Karauli's average annual rainfall dropped from 722.1 mm (1951-2000) to 563.94 mm (2001-2011), according to government data. Repeated droughts, driven in part by declining rainfall linked to climate change, had turned their lands barren. Water sources dried up, crippling agriculture and animal husbandry, the lifeblood of their livelihood. Karauli (Rajasthan), May 25 (PTI) Until about 15 years ago, Sampatti Devi and many women like her in Rajasthan's Karauli district lived in constant fear, dreading the day their husbands might not return home. But in the 2010s, something remarkable happened. The women, weary of fear and despair, resolved to reclaim their lives. They convinced their husbands to come out of the jungles and give up arms. Together, they began reviving old, dried-up ponds and constructing new pokhars (water bodies) with the help of Tarun Bharat Sangh (TBS), an Alwar-based NGO dedicated to water conservation since 1975. 'I would have been dead by now. She convinced me to come back and start farming again,' recalled Jagdish, Sampatti Devi's husband, now 58, who surrendered his weapons and chose peace. Pooling every penny earned over the years by selling milk, they built a pokhar at the base of a hill near their village, Alampur, in 2015-16. When the rains came, the 'pokhar' was filled and for the first time in years, their family had water, enough to sustain them for a longer period. 'Now, we grow mustard, wheat, pearl millet and vegetables,' says Sampatti Devi, sitting proudly on the pokhar's embankment. She even rents it out for water chestnut cultivation, earning about Rs 1 lakh each season. Over the years, TBS and the local community have together built 16 such pokhars in the forest surrounding the village and around 500 across the entire district, each capturing runoff from the slopes. Karauli, once among Rajasthan's worst-hit dacoit areas, witnessed a transformation. Karauli district is part of the Chambal region, which extends across Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. It has historically been notorious for dacoity due to its rugged terrain, ravines and forests that provided hideouts for dacoits. 'With community-led conservation efforts, stability is returning,' said Karauli Superintendent of Police Brijesh Jyoti Upadhyay. He says rainfall in the region is erratic and leads to periods of both water scarcity and intense short-term downpours. 'Karauli faces droughts during dry times and flash floods when it rains heavily, like last year, when the monsoon brought over 1,900 mm of rain.' Sumit Dookia, an associate professor at Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and a native of Rajasthan, said the rocky terrain makes water run off quickly and stops much of it from soaking into the ground. 'With all this going on, smart water management is really important.' The wave of conservation in Karauli has transformed the Serni, once a seasonal river, into a perennial one. Just a decade ago, the river would run dry after Diwali, leaving people desperate for water. 'Now, the river holds water even at the peak of summer, thanks to around 150 water harvesting structures constructed along its entire length and breadth. The groundwater level has risen to just 5 to 10 feet below the surface,' said Ranveer Singh from TBS. Forty years ago, he said, the river flowed all year round, but overuse and climate change had left it dry. With no options left, some men migrated to cities in search of work while others turned to mining or dacoity. 'Illegal mining exposed them to lethal silica dust, causing silicosis, a painful and incurable lung disease. Many did not live past 40,' said Rajendra Singh, the Magsaysay Award and Stockholm Water Prize-winning water conservationist who leads TBS. A 2013 study by the National Institute of Miners' Health (now part of ICMR-NIOH) found that 74 per cent of surveyed sandstone workers in Karauli suffered from silicosis. Water scarcity even disrupted marriage decisions. Families of prospective brides avoided sending daughters to this parched land while poverty forced many Karauli parents to marry off their daughters early, Rajendra Singh said. In Bhoorkheda village, where many families once felt forced to marry off their daughters early under the heavy burden of financial hardship, 55-year-old Prem, a woman married to a former dacoit, made a courageous sacrifice. She gave up four bighas of her own land to build a pokhar on the village's edge. She beams with pride as she shares how the pond now brings water to grow wheat and pearl millet, nourishing the families of her village. 'Though I do not have much to offer, I am content knowing that people can grow crops and have enough to eat,' she said. Lajja Ram, 60, also from Bhoorkheda, admitted he turned to dacoity out of desperation. 'My father was a farmer. There was enough water in his time. But as I grew up, rainfall declined, wells dried up and farming became impossible. We were lucky to produce even two to four manns (80-160 kg) per bigha. Our cattle died, and we felt like we were next,' said Lajja Ram, who once faced 40 criminal cases. It was his sister who finally persuaded him to surrender and join water conservation efforts. Now, they grow wheat, mustard, chickpea and pearl millet on their 10 bighas of land, own eight buffalos, several goats and have enough to eat. 'Ab anand hai (Now, there is happiness),' he says. In Arora village, 70-year-old folk singer Siyaram remembers when rains failed, crops withered and children wept from hunger. His 30 bighas of land lay parched and his sons migrated to cities. His wife, Prem Devi, who passed away two years ago, had inspired him to join the water conservation efforts. Siyaram sings of that time: 'Paani ki dori hath nahi, tum chaho to barsat nahi. Paani ki ajab kahani hai. Ab bhai khuwari bin paani hai. (You cannot control rain; it won't come when you wish. Water's story is strange. Now brother, the land is barren without water).' Today, Siyaram sings a song of hope. 'Paani hi jeevan ka saathi, paani bin mar jaye haathi. Sun lo dada, bhai, naati… mil jayega dhan ratan, agar hum paani rokne ka karein jatan. (Water is life's companion. Without it, even the elephant dies. Listen, elders, brother, nephew… We will find treasure if we work to conserve water).' On a scorching May afternoon, water shimmers in Karauli's ponds and pokhars. The Serni river flows gently, with children splashing and cattle grazing along its banks. 'A decade ago, no one would have imagined this. Our women made this possible!' said Ranveer Singh. PTI GVS DIV DIV This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Time of India
25-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
In Rajasthan's Chambal, wives of ex-dacoits lead revival of water sources and hope
Until about 15 years ago, Sampatti Devi and many women like her in Rajasthan 's Karauli district lived in constant fear, dreading the day their husbands might not return home. Repeated droughts, driven in part by declining rainfall linked to climate change, had turned their lands barren. Water sources dried up, crippling agriculture and animal husbandry, the lifeblood of their livelihood. With no other way to survive, many men were forced into dacoity, hiding in jungles and risking their lives every day to evade police. Karauli's average annual rainfall dropped from 722.1 mm (1951-2000) to 563.94 mm (2001-2011), according to government data. But in the 2010s, something remarkable happened. The women, weary of fear and despair, resolved to reclaim their lives. They convinced their husbands to come out of the jungles and give up arms. Together, they began reviving old, dried-up ponds and constructing new pokhars (water bodies) with the help of Tarun Bharat Sangh (TBS), an Alwar-based NGO dedicated to water conservation since 1975. "I would have been dead by now. She convinced me to come back and start farming again," recalled Jagdish, Sampatti Devi's husband, now 58, who surrendered his weapons and chose peace. Live Events Pooling every penny earned over the years by selling milk, they built a pokhar at the base of a hill near their village, Alampur, in 2015-16. When the rains came, the 'pokhar' was filled and for the first time in years, their family had water, enough to sustain them for a longer period. "Now, we grow mustard, wheat, pearl millet and vegetables," says Sampatti Devi, sitting proudly on the pokhar's embankment. She even rents it out for water chestnut cultivation, earning about Rs 1 lakh each season. Over the years, TBS and the local community have together built 16 such pokhars in the forest surrounding the village and around 500 across the entire district, each capturing runoff from the slopes, preventing droughts and floods. Karauli, once among Rajasthan's worst-hit dacoit areas, witnessed a transformation. Karauli district is part of the Chambal region, which extends across Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh . It has historically been notorious for dacoity due to its rugged terrain, ravines and forests that provided hideouts for dacoits. "With community-led conservation efforts, stability is returning," said Karauli Superintendent of Police Brijesh Jyoti Upadhyay. He says rainfall in the region is erratic and leads to periods of both water scarcity and intense short-term downpours. "Karauli faces droughts during dry times and flash floods when it rains heavily, like last year, when the monsoon brought over 1,900 mm of rain." Sumit Dookia, an associate professor at Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and a native of Rajasthan, said the rocky terrain makes water run off quickly and stops much of it from soaking into the ground. "With all this going on, smart water management is really important." The wave of conservation in Karauli has transformed the Serni, once a seasonal river, into a perennial one. Just a decade ago, the river would run dry after Diwali, leaving people desperate for water. "Now, the river holds water even at the peak of summer, thanks to around 150 water harvesting structures constructed along its entire length and breadth. The groundwater level has risen to just 5 to 10 feet below the surface," said Ranveer Singh from TBS. Forty years ago, he said, the river flowed all year round, but overuse and climate change had left it dry. With no options left, some men migrated to cities in search of work while others turned to mining or dacoity. "Illegal mining exposed them to lethal silica dust, causing silicosis, a painful and incurable lung disease. Many did not live past 40," said Rajendra Singh, the Magsaysay Award and Stockholm Water Prize-winning water conservationist who leads TBS. A 2013 study by the National Institute of Miners' Health (now part of ICMR-NIOH) found that 74 per cent of surveyed sandstone workers in Karauli suffered from silicosis. Water scarcity even disrupted marriage decisions. Families of prospective brides avoided sending daughters to this parched land while poverty forced many Karauli parents to marry off their daughters early, Rajendra Singh said. In Bhoorkheda village, where many families once felt forced to marry off their daughters early under the heavy burden of financial hardship, 55-year-old Prem, a woman married to a former dacoit, made a courageous sacrifice. She gave up four bighas of her own land to build a pokhar on the village's edge. She beams with pride as she shares how the pond now brings water to grow wheat and pearl millet, nourishing the families of her village. "Though I do not have much to offer, I am content knowing that people can grow crops and have enough to eat," she said. Lajja Ram, 60, also from Bhoorkheda, admitted he turned to dacoity out of desperation. "My father was a farmer. There was enough water in his time. But as I grew up, rainfall declined, wells dried up and farming became impossible. We were lucky to produce even two to four manns (80-160 kg) per bigha. Our cattle died, and we felt like we were next," said Lajja Ram, who once faced 40 criminal cases. It was his sister who finally persuaded him to surrender and join water conservation efforts. Now, they grow wheat, mustard, chickpea and pearl millet on their 10 bighas of land, own eight buffalos, several goats and have enough to eat. "Ab anand hai (Now, there is happiness)," he says. In Arora village, 70-year-old folk singer Siyaram remembers when rains failed, crops withered and children wept from hunger. His 30 bighas of land lay parched and his sons migrated to cities. His wife, Prem Devi, who passed away two years ago, had inspired him to join the water conservation efforts. Siyaram sings of that time: "Paani ki dori hath nahi, tum chaho to barsat nahi. Paani ki ajab kahani hai. Ab bhai khuwari bin paani hai. (You cannot control rain; it won't come when you wish. Water's story is strange. Now brother, the land is barren without water)." Today, Siyaram sings a song of hope. "Paani hi jeevan ka saathi, paani bin mar jaye haathi. Sun lo dada, bhai, naati... mil jayega dhan ratan, agar hum paani rokne ka karein jatan. (Water is life's companion. Without it, even the elephant dies. Listen, elders, brother, nephew... We will find treasure if we work to conserve water)." On a scorching May afternoon, water shimmers in Karauli's ponds and pokhars. The Serni river flows gently, with children splashing and cattle grazing along its banks. "A decade ago, no one would have imagined this. Our women made this possible!" said Ranveer Singh.
Hindustan Times
25-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
In Rajasthan's Chambal, wives of ex-dacoits lead revival of water sources and hope
Karauli , Until about 15 years ago, Sampatti Devi and many women like her in Rajasthan's Karauli district lived in constant fear, dreading the day their husbands might not return home. Repeated droughts, driven in part by declining rainfall linked to climate change, had turned their lands barren. Water sources dried up, crippling agriculture and animal husbandry, the lifeblood of their livelihood. With no other way to survive, many men were forced into dacoity, hiding in jungles and risking their lives every day to evade police. Karauli's average annual rainfall dropped from 722.1 mm to 563.94 mm , according to government data. But in the 2010s, something remarkable happened. The women, weary of fear and despair, resolved to reclaim their lives. They convinced their husbands to come out of the jungles and give up arms. Together, they began reviving old, dried-up ponds and constructing new pokhars with the help of Tarun Bharat Sangh , an Alwar-based NGO dedicated to water conservation since 1975. "I would have been dead by now. She convinced me to come back and start farming again," recalled Jagdish, Sampatti Devi's husband, now 58, who surrendered his weapons and chose peace. Pooling every penny earned over the years by selling milk, they built a pokhar at the base of a hill near their village, Alampur, in 2015-16. When the rains came, the 'pokhar' was filled and for the first time in years, their family had water, enough to sustain them for a longer period. "Now, we grow mustard, wheat, pearl millet and vegetables," says Sampatti Devi, sitting proudly on the pokhar's embankment. She even rents it out for water chestnut cultivation, earning about ₹1 lakh each season. Over the years, TBS and the local community have together built 16 such pokhars in the forest surrounding the village and around 500 across the entire district, each capturing runoff from the slopes. Karauli, once among Rajasthan's worst-hit dacoit areas, witnessed a transformation. Karauli district is part of the Chambal region, which extends across Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. It has historically been notorious for dacoity due to its rugged terrain, ravines and forests that provided hideouts for dacoits. "With community-led conservation efforts, stability is returning," said Karauli Superintendent of Police Brijesh Jyoti Upadhyay. He says rainfall in the region is erratic and leads to periods of both water scarcity and intense short-term downpours. "Karauli faces droughts during dry times and flash floods when it rains heavily, like last year, when the monsoon brought over 1,900 mm of rain." Sumit Dookia, an associate professor at Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and a native of Rajasthan, said the rocky terrain makes water run off quickly and stops much of it from soaking into the ground. "With all this going on, smart water management is really important." The wave of conservation in Karauli has transformed the Serni, once a seasonal river, into a perennial one. Just a decade ago, the river would run dry after Diwali, leaving people desperate for water. "Now, the river holds water even at the peak of summer, thanks to around 150 water harvesting structures constructed along its entire length and breadth. The groundwater level has risen to just 5 to 10 feet below the surface," said Ranveer Singh from TBS. Forty years ago, he said, the river flowed all year round, but overuse and climate change had left it dry. With no options left, some men migrated to cities in search of work while others turned to mining or dacoity. "Illegal mining exposed them to lethal silica dust, causing silicosis, a painful and incurable lung disease. Many did not live past 40," said Rajendra Singh, the Magsaysay Award and Stockholm Water Prize-winning water conservationist who leads TBS. A 2013 study by the National Institute of Miners' Health found that 74 per cent of surveyed sandstone workers in Karauli suffered from silicosis. Water scarcity even disrupted marriage decisions. Families of prospective brides avoided sending daughters to this parched land while poverty forced many Karauli parents to marry off their daughters early, Rajendra Singh said. In Bhoorkheda village, where many families once felt forced to marry off their daughters early under the heavy burden of financial hardship, 55-year-old Prem, a woman married to a former dacoit, made a courageous sacrifice. She gave up four bighas of her own land to build a pokhar on the village's edge. She beams with pride as she shares how the pond now brings water to grow wheat and pearl millet, nourishing the families of her village. "Though I do not have much to offer, I am content knowing that people can grow crops and have enough to eat," she said. Lajja Ram, 60, also from Bhoorkheda, admitted he turned to dacoity out of desperation. "My father was a farmer. There was enough water in his time. But as I grew up, rainfall declined, wells dried up and farming became impossible. We were lucky to produce even two to four manns per bigha. Our cattle died, and we felt like we were next," said Lajja Ram, who once faced 40 criminal cases. It was his sister who finally persuaded him to surrender and join water conservation efforts. Now, they grow wheat, mustard, chickpea and pearl millet on their 10 bighas of land, own eight buffalos, several goats and have enough to eat. "Ab anand hai ," he says. In Arora village, 70-year-old folk singer Siyaram remembers when rains failed, crops withered and children wept from hunger. His 30 bighas of land lay parched and his sons migrated to cities. His wife, Prem Devi, who passed away two years ago, had inspired him to join the water conservation efforts. Siyaram sings of that time: "Paani ki dori hath nahi, tum chaho to barsat nahi. Paani ki ajab kahani hai. Ab bhai khuwari bin paani hai. ." Today, Siyaram sings a song of hope. "Paani hi jeevan ka saathi, paani bin mar jaye haathi. Sun lo dada, bhai, naati... mil jayega dhan ratan, agar hum paani rokne ka karein jatan. ." On a scorching May afternoon, water shimmers in Karauli's ponds and pokhars. The Serni river flows gently, with children splashing and cattle grazing along its banks. "A decade ago, no one would have imagined this. Our women made this possible!" said Ranveer Singh.
