Notorious Chambal dacoit Jagan Gurjar died under suspicious circumstances in the high-security Ajmer Central Jail on Monday.
According to police reports received at the state headquarters here, Jagan, who once carried a reward of Rs 11 lakh on his head, was found dead in his barrack during a routine patrol by jail warders on Monday afternoon.
Police and forensic science laboratory (FSL) experts were immediately summoned to the jail. They have begun an on-the-spot investigation and collected evidence from the scene.
Ajmer Superintendent of Police (SP) Harshvardhan Agrawal said the exact cause of death could be ascertained only after the post-mortem examination and the FSL report.
Whether Jagan died of natural causes, died by suicide, or was murdered remains unclear. The post-mortem report and the findings of the FSL are expected to determine the cause of death.
The post-mortem will be conducted by a special medical board, Agrawal said.
A dreaded dacoit of the Chambal ravines in the Dholpur region, Jagan Gurjar entered the world of crime in 1994 and soon became one of the most active and feared dacoits, spreading terror across parts of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh.
Jagan was wanted in nearly 100 cases, including dacoity, robbery, murder, attempt to murder, and other heinous offences registered at police stations in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh.
During the Gujjar agitation in 2008, Jagan allegedly threatened to blow up the then Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje’s Dholpur Palace with explosives. Following the threat, the authorities announced a reward of Rs 11 lakh for information leading to his arrest.
Jagan surrendered before the authorities on three occasions—in 2001, 2009, and 2018. In 2009, he surrendered in the presence of Sachin Pilot. However, after each surrender, he allegedly returned to criminal activities after securing bail.
Several years ago, during his daughter’s wedding, Jagan reportedly vowed to give up crime permanently. However, he allegedly failed to honour that pledge.