DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.27740#0150
90
Modus
operandi.
Robbery.
House-
breakings.
Bazar and
fair thefts.
They steal both by day and night. Their held of operation
is generally the villages about 4 to 10 miles from their encampment.
They split up for crime from their encampments on any of the
following pretexts :—
(1) To trace a missing woman of the gang.
(2) To visit an ailing relation in another gang at some other
place.
(3) To search for a strayed buffalo.
It is not their usual practice to previously reconnoitre the
house or houses to be raided, but on their visit to a village on the
pretext of shaving buffaloes or begging they select any house that
appears convenient. AH enter the house together and steal as
quickly as possible. They seldom operate singly. Sometimes
their women folk do the reconnoitring on the pretext of begging.
They generally select a house on the outskirts and make a sign by
placing a few stones at one of the rear corners of the house. The
men find this out during the night and commit the offence. They
are not very daring during the commission of offences. Many of the
women make it a habit to get arrested in an advanced stage of preg-
nancy by committing an offence openly and thereby secure a
conviction, as they are very comfortable in jail during their confinement
period. At times a few men and women keep away from the gang
and their names are not included in the gang. These persons go
long distances for committing crime, and after making a good haul
return to the gang and at the same time a similar number leave the
gang on a fresh expedition. Thus the number of persons in the
gang is always the same, and to all outward appearance the gang
seems innocent.
They commit the following offences:—
When they find a suitable opportunity they waylay an isolated
cartman or traveller. They particularly snatch ornaments from
the person of a solitary woman. They then travel rapidly miles
away from the scene.
picking of locks, and breaking of chains are their
favourite methods of committing house-breakings during the night.
In the day both men and women with boys and girls visit a village
between 12 noon and 3 p- m. on the pretext of begging and shaving
buffaloes. At this time of the day the men of the village are out
in the fields and the women folk are also at wells or the river side
washing clothes. They force open the locks or unchain the doors
of empty houses and move away quickly after pocketing anything
they can lay their hands on. If they find any good cloth or Mr/
drying outside they steal it. They are adepts in removing ornaments
from the persons of sleeping women and children.
They know the days on which weekly markets and fairs are
held far and near. They visit these places within a radius of 10 to
15 miles from their encampment. The women and boys commit
offences in these places, When they notice a person put down a
Modus
operandi.
Robbery.
House-
breakings.
Bazar and
fair thefts.
They steal both by day and night. Their held of operation
is generally the villages about 4 to 10 miles from their encampment.
They split up for crime from their encampments on any of the
following pretexts :—
(1) To trace a missing woman of the gang.
(2) To visit an ailing relation in another gang at some other
place.
(3) To search for a strayed buffalo.
It is not their usual practice to previously reconnoitre the
house or houses to be raided, but on their visit to a village on the
pretext of shaving buffaloes or begging they select any house that
appears convenient. AH enter the house together and steal as
quickly as possible. They seldom operate singly. Sometimes
their women folk do the reconnoitring on the pretext of begging.
They generally select a house on the outskirts and make a sign by
placing a few stones at one of the rear corners of the house. The
men find this out during the night and commit the offence. They
are not very daring during the commission of offences. Many of the
women make it a habit to get arrested in an advanced stage of preg-
nancy by committing an offence openly and thereby secure a
conviction, as they are very comfortable in jail during their confinement
period. At times a few men and women keep away from the gang
and their names are not included in the gang. These persons go
long distances for committing crime, and after making a good haul
return to the gang and at the same time a similar number leave the
gang on a fresh expedition. Thus the number of persons in the
gang is always the same, and to all outward appearance the gang
seems innocent.
They commit the following offences:—
When they find a suitable opportunity they waylay an isolated
cartman or traveller. They particularly snatch ornaments from
the person of a solitary woman. They then travel rapidly miles
away from the scene.
picking of locks, and breaking of chains are their
favourite methods of committing house-breakings during the night.
In the day both men and women with boys and girls visit a village
between 12 noon and 3 p- m. on the pretext of begging and shaving
buffaloes. At this time of the day the men of the village are out
in the fields and the women folk are also at wells or the river side
washing clothes. They force open the locks or unchain the doors
of empty houses and move away quickly after pocketing anything
they can lay their hands on. If they find any good cloth or Mr/
drying outside they steal it. They are adepts in removing ornaments
from the persons of sleeping women and children.
They know the days on which weekly markets and fairs are
held far and near. They visit these places within a radius of 10 to
15 miles from their encampment. The women and boys commit
offences in these places, When they notice a person put down a