DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.27740#0140
84
Dacoity
and rob-
bery.
Burglary.
Railway
thefts.
Cattle
thefts.
and false names of the villages they have come from, with the
object of evading surveillance by police and village officials, and
of handicapping the police in tracing their line of march. They are
rapid travellers and can usually outrun any pursuit party, covering
as much as 40 miles in a night when pressed. It is difficult to trace
and forecast their line of advance as they invariably split up into
two or three parties and continually double back on their tracks.
They work entirelv at night and are hardly ever seen by day.
Their ostensible means of subsistence is the performance of
acrobatic feats and begging, but in fact they live by crime. The
area of their operation is generally three or four miles from their
camping grounds, and after committing a series of offences they
generally move on. When not making rapid raids they sometimes
pose as Khangar Bhats or Malwa Kunbis, and beg at Khangar's
houses.
They commit thefts, house-breakings of all kinds, robberies, and
dacoities, often with murder. If the villagers put up a resistance
they resort to violence and pelt stones to prevent pursuit.
They terrorize country folk in outlying hamlets and rob them
of their grain, fowls, and goats, etc. They also assault villagers
returning to their homes from market towns and rob them of their
belongings, and snatch ornaments from the persons of women and
children.
They commit house-breakings by means of and also use
gimlets. They are adepts at slipping their hands through small
openings left in doors, windows, andtattas, etc., and are also skilful in
sliding off locks and chains. They are experts in removing ornaments
from the persons of sleeping women and children. When moving
with the camp during the day time they enter a village in the after-
noon and break up into small groups. At this hour of the day the
village women folk are usually absent from their homes washing
clothes or grinding grain. Some members of the gang with a drum
keep the villagers occupied with a display of acrobatic feats, while
the remaining members of the gang enter houses by picking the
locks and remove cash and jewellery.
They lift bags from open trucks, either by boarding trains when
speed permits, or by grappling irons or long poles fitted with iron
hooks. They also snatch ornaments from the persons of women
sitting near a railway carriage window.
Sheep and cattle are stolen at travellers' halting stages, from
cattle sheds, sheep pens, and in the open while grazing. They are
clever at stealing stray animals. Stolen cattle are sold at distant
markets, and if there is no fear of identification are also used as pack
animals. Stolen sheep and goats are immediately killed and
consumed-
Dacoity
and rob-
bery.
Burglary.
Railway
thefts.
Cattle
thefts.
and false names of the villages they have come from, with the
object of evading surveillance by police and village officials, and
of handicapping the police in tracing their line of march. They are
rapid travellers and can usually outrun any pursuit party, covering
as much as 40 miles in a night when pressed. It is difficult to trace
and forecast their line of advance as they invariably split up into
two or three parties and continually double back on their tracks.
They work entirelv at night and are hardly ever seen by day.
Their ostensible means of subsistence is the performance of
acrobatic feats and begging, but in fact they live by crime. The
area of their operation is generally three or four miles from their
camping grounds, and after committing a series of offences they
generally move on. When not making rapid raids they sometimes
pose as Khangar Bhats or Malwa Kunbis, and beg at Khangar's
houses.
They commit thefts, house-breakings of all kinds, robberies, and
dacoities, often with murder. If the villagers put up a resistance
they resort to violence and pelt stones to prevent pursuit.
They terrorize country folk in outlying hamlets and rob them
of their grain, fowls, and goats, etc. They also assault villagers
returning to their homes from market towns and rob them of their
belongings, and snatch ornaments from the persons of women and
children.
They commit house-breakings by means of and also use
gimlets. They are adepts at slipping their hands through small
openings left in doors, windows, andtattas, etc., and are also skilful in
sliding off locks and chains. They are experts in removing ornaments
from the persons of sleeping women and children. When moving
with the camp during the day time they enter a village in the after-
noon and break up into small groups. At this hour of the day the
village women folk are usually absent from their homes washing
clothes or grinding grain. Some members of the gang with a drum
keep the villagers occupied with a display of acrobatic feats, while
the remaining members of the gang enter houses by picking the
locks and remove cash and jewellery.
They lift bags from open trucks, either by boarding trains when
speed permits, or by grappling irons or long poles fitted with iron
hooks. They also snatch ornaments from the persons of women
sitting near a railway carriage window.
Sheep and cattle are stolen at travellers' halting stages, from
cattle sheds, sheep pens, and in the open while grazing. They are
clever at stealing stray animals. Stolen cattle are sold at distant
markets, and if there is no fear of identification are also used as pack
animals. Stolen sheep and goats are immediately killed and
consumed-