Sandeep is an Indian gangster from Haryana and a close associate of Lawrence Bishnoi. He has been convicted under various criminal cases including murder, robbery, land extortion, and dacoity. In 2021, the Delhi police launched an operation titled ‘Op D-24’ to catch him and successfully captured him in July 2021.

Wiki/Biography

Sandeep was born in 1984 (age 40 years; as of 2024) in Jatheri, Sonipat, Haryana. He pursued no formal education after class 12.

Physical Appearance

Height (approx.): 5′ 8″

Weight (approx.): 65 kg

Hair Colour: Black

Eye Colour: Black

Family

Parents & Siblings

There is not much information about his parents. He has two younger brothers.

Wife & Children

On 12 March 2024, Sandeep got married to lady don Anuradha Chaudhary in Dwarka, Delhi, under tight security. The Delhi court allowed the time from 10 am to 4 pm for the wedding to Kala Jathedi, who was lodged in Tihar Jail.

Relationships/Affairs

In March 2020, Sandeep met Anuradha Chaudhary, a gangster popularly known as Madam Minz, at Garhwal Valley of Flowers in Chamoli, Uttarakhand. The couple fell in love while they were on a run together from the police.

Anuradha Chaudhary

Controversy

Dispute with Sushil Kumar

Kala Jathedi was a close friend of the national wrestler Sushil Kumar. However, Sushil Kumar was named as one of the 12 people accused in the murder case of a junior wrestler Sagar Dhankar. On 4 May 2021, Sonu Mahal who is Kala Jathedi’s nephew was also beaten up by Sushil Kumar during the murder of Sagar Dhankar at the Chhatrasal Stadium. After the assault of his nephew, Kala Jathedi constantly gave death threats to Sushil Kumar due to which the Delhi police shifted Sushil Kumar from Mandoli Jail to Tihar Jail.

Facts/Trivia

• Sandeep began working as a cable operator in Sonipat, Haryana after passing out from school.

• Sandeep is popularly known as Kala Jathedi which means a gangster from Jatheri village of Sonipat, Haryana.

• In June 2009, he committed a murder for the first time during a bank robbery in Rohtak following which he kept getting involved in more and more criminal cases.

• He has been associated with various criminal gangs from time to time.

• He is known to be Lawrence Bishnoi’s right-hand man and operates his gangs. Together, they partnered up with Gurugram-based gangster Sube Gujjar, Jitender Gogi, and Rajasthan-based gangster Anandpal Singh to expand their area of control.

• In 2016, the district court of Sonipat convicted him for a murder he committed in 2010 with life imprisonment.
  

  Sandeep being taken into custody

• In February 2020, he escaped police custody from Faridabad. It was reported that he moved to Dubai for some time and carried out his operations from there.

• In 2021, he was named as one of the most wanted criminals by 5 states, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, and Uttrakhand in more than 40 cases of dacoity, robbery, extortion, and attempt to murder. The police had announced a cash reward of Rs. 7 lakh for any person who’d help the police in his arrest.

• On 25 March 2021, he along with associates helped Kuldeep Fajja, a gangster, to escape from police custody while he was admitted at GTB Hospital.

• In July 2021, he was arrested by the Delhi police’s special cell under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) from Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh.

• Along with Kala Jathedi, his girlfriend, Anuradha, was caught and taken into police custody.
  

  Sandeep arrested along with Anuradha Chaudhary

• Kala Jathedi and his gang members used code words to address each other, and Kala Jathedi was named ‘Alpha.’

• On 4 March 2024, Kala Jathedi was granted custody parole for 6 hours by the Delhi Dwarka court to get married on 12 March 2024 and for the Grih Pravesh ceremony on 13 March 2024.

Kritika

Farhatullah Ghori is an Indian terrorist and fugitive. He is said to be operating from Pakistan. He allegedly has links to terrorist organisations such as the Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba. He is considered to be one of the most wanted criminals in India.

Physical Appearance

^[1]Interpol Height: 5′ 7″

Hair Colour: Grey

Eye Colour: Brown

Wiki/Biography

Mohammed Farhatullah Ghori was born on 2 August 1963 (age 60 years; as of 2024) in Hyderabad, Telangana (previously in Andhra Pradesh). ^[2]Interpol His zodiac sign is Leo. In the mid-90s, Ghori fled to Saudi Arabia (allegedly in 1994). He then went to Dubai and finally fled to Pakistan in 2015.

Family

Parents & Siblings

His father’s name is Ahmedullah Ghori. His brother, Shaukatullah Ghori, is an Imam (the man who leads the prayer in a mosque).

Shaukatullah Ghori’s Confession Statement

Ghori’s brother, Shaukatullah, confessed to the activities and whereabouts of Ghori in 2009. Imam Shaukatullah Ghori, brother of Farhatullah Ghori, confessed to spreading hateful CDs after the Godhra riots to recruit young people for the Taliban. Shaukatullah admitted this under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) and also confessed to collecting money for terrorist activities in Gujarat. Shaukatullah was arrested upon his arrival in Hyderabad from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in July 2009. He faced trial for his involvement in the terrorist attack on the Akshardham temple in 2002. After the Gujarat riots in 2002, Shaukatullah and his associates distributed hate CDs in Riyadh to incite violence against Hindus. They also organized meetings to recruit people for their cause and collected money for training volunteers. Shaukatullah and his brother Farhatullah were focused on sponsoring terrorism in Gujarat. They raised funds from wealthy individuals in the Gulf and channelled it into terrorist activities in India. According to Shaukatullah’s confession, Farhatullah Ghori was closely associated with extremist groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Farhatullah, along with his associates, encouraged youths to join the Taliban and engage in jihad in India, especially after significant events like the Babri Masjid demolition and the Gujarat riots of 2002. He indoctrinated and recruited individuals for extremist causes. During meetings held in Riyadh, Farhatullah and his associates urged Gujarati Muslims to retaliate against Hindus, collected funds for training volunteers, and organized hate CD distributions to incite violence. He travelled to Gujarat to recruit local youths for their cause. His associates, including Shaukatullah, handled the funds collected for jihad activities. ^[3]Bharat Rakshak

Religion/Religious Views

Farhatullah Ghori follows Islamism. He is allegedly a part of several extremist Islam terrorist groups. Ghori has made several attempts to convince people, especially youth, to engage in jihad. He has also given guidelines and rules for “aspiring jihadists”.

Terrorism Linked To Farhatullah Ghori

Farhatullah Ghori is a key suspect investigated by India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) and is on the run in connection with ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria)-related cases across India. He used various aliases like Abu Sultan and Abu Suleman while working for ISIS, and organised terror activities in cities across India. Ghori is suspected of being the leader of Hizb-Ut-Tahrir (HUT), a global Islamic fundamentalist terrorist group. According to reports, he aims to expand operations in Delhi, Maharashtra, and Kerala. Ghori recruited and radicalised Muslim youth by connecting them to terrorist networks like al-Qaeda and ISIS. He raised funds through contacts with wealthy people and by illicit means to build a “self-radicalised network” (people consuming extremist media, turning to their side, and acting on such ideology). Pakistan’s ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) supported reports of Ghori being connected to ISIS. He is believed to be hiding in Pakistan, revealing a connection between ISI, ISIS, and HUT. Abdul Zahed (terrorist), who had connections to Ghori and others, was arrested in connection with a terror plot in Hyderabad. Zahed and his accomplices fled to Pakistan, which further showed direct links between ISI, ISIS, and HUT. Ghori is also said to be in contact with the top leaders in Pakistani-based terrorist organizations such as Lashkar E Toiba (LeT) and Harkat ul Jihadi al Islami (HUJI).

Terrorist Acts Committed by Ghori

He is linked to major attacks, including the 2002 Akshardham Temple attack in Gujarat and a 2005 suicide attack on a Special Task Force camp in Hyderabad.

The Akshardham Temple was attacked by terrorists (allegedly including Farhatullah Ghori) in 2002

Despite being searched for by Indian authorities with an Interpol Red Corner Notice, Ghori was never caught. Interpol’s charges against Ghori are,

Attempt to murder, illegally acquiring/possessing fire arms, Conspiring, Abetting, Collecting men/arms & ammunitions and preparing to wage war against India.” ^[4]Interpol

First, there was speculation that he resided in Saudi Arabia, and then it was believed that he may have relocated to Pakistan. According to intelligence, there are strong signs of collaboration between HuT and the ISIS module in India. There are suspicions that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) supported these terrorists and presented them as ISIS members. The investigation involved audio intercepts where Ghori answered questions. In one instance, he criticized Indian police and intelligence agencies, stating that they are not as effective as claimed. Ghori advised staying peaceful on social media and using it only for information gathering. Ghori also warned against arms smugglers, describing them as double agents who provide information to the police. He appealed not to involve individuals with a history of being in jail in terror operations, as they are always on the radar of intelligence agencies. In 2020, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) named Ghori to be an “Individual Terrorist” under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

2022 Videos Spreading Terrorism 

Farhatullah Ghori resurfaced in 2022 and released videos on YouTube, Facebook, and Telegram to incite terrorist activities within India. He was believed to be in Pakistan and was allegedly “forgotten” by Indian intelligence agencies until his recent reappearance. Through the videos, Ghori called to revive the Ghazwa-e-Hind campaign. The videos were put out when Pakistan was being monitored for its actions against terrorist groups. Since March 2022, he released about 10 videos, with the latest surfacing at the end of June 2022. In his video series titled Ghazwa Series, Ghori urged the Islamic community in India to prepare for jihad, touching on contemporary issues affecting the community in India. These issues include the 2008 Ahmedabad blast case convictions, the blasphemy case involving Nupur Sharma, the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), and the National Registry for Citizens (NRC). The call for Ghazwa-e-Hind, which refers to a “prophesied final battle” against India, has been made before by groups like the Islamic State and Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS). However, Ghori’s call is different as he did it without organizational backing. He reappeared after 17 years, since his last known message in March 2005, raises questions and concerns. This caused him to come under the “intelligence scanner” of the Counter Intelligence of Telangana and the Intelligence Bureau,

2023 Arrests Of Terrorists “Handled” By Ghori

In 2023, the Delhi police arrested three terrorists. One of the terrorists was Shahnawaz Alam (ISIS terrorist). Ghori is said to have been in contact with Alam, linked to the Maharashtra ISIS terror module case (alleged conspiracy of war against the Indian government). Ghori allegedly helped Alam, who had a reward on his head, to pledge allegiance to ISIS. The police revealed that the handler of these three terrorists was Ghori. The other two arrested suspects, Mohammad Rizwan Ashraf and Mohammad Arshad Warsi, also confessed that Ghori played a role in their initiation into ISIS.

Shahnawaz Alam, Mohammad Rizwan Ashraf whose handler is Farhatullah Ghori and were arrested by the Delhi police

Facts/Trivia

• Farhatullah Ghori also goes by the alias Ustad, Faru, Sardar Sahab, Abu Sufiyan, Abu Sultan, and Abu Suleman.

• Farhatullah is said to be very secretive and has never made any public speeches or appearances. There is no clear picture of him.

• According to the Interpol Red Notice, Ghori’s physical appearance is described as someone who has a beard and a moustache, looks like a Kashmiri, uses thick lenses, has a “namj ki nishan” on his forehead, and has a potbelly stomach.
  

  An unclear picture of Farhatullah Ghori, uploaded by Interpol

• The Interpol Red Notice states that Ghori is a habitual smoker.

• Ghori is said to speak Arabic, English, and Urdu.

Sharon

Surinder Koli is an Indian associated with the Nithari murder cases. He was charged with 16 murder cases. He was also accused of rape, abduction, cannibalism, and organ trafficking. He was acquitted from all cases in 2023.

Wiki/Biography

Surinder Koli was born in 1970 (age 54 years; as of 2024). He dropped out of school when he was 13 years old and started working to support his family. Surinder Koli was employed by Moninder Singh Pandher as his domestic help. He is also a trained butcher.

Physical Appearance

Height (approx.): 5′ 9″

Weight (approx.): 75 kg

Hair Colour: Black

Eye Colour: Black

Family & Caste

Surinder’s family is from Mangrukhal in Almora, Uttarakhand. He was born into a family belonging to the Dalit caste.

Parents & Siblings

Surinder’s mother’s name is Kanti Koli (deceased). He has three brothers: an older brother named Chandan, a younger brother named Mangat Ram, and his youngest brother, Anand, a schoolteacher.

Surinder Koli’s mother, Kanti Koli

Wife & Children

His wife’s name is Shanti Devi. The couple have two children together, a daughter named Simran, and a son. The couple had another son who passed away when he was ten months old.

Religion/Religious Views

Surinder Koli follows Hinduism. It was reported by prison guards that he used to recite the “Hanuman Chalisa” and Hindu hymns during his time in jail. He also spent his time in jail reading religious books. ^[1]India Today

2006 Noida Serial Murder Case (Nithari Case)

The Nithari serial murders (also known as the 2006 Noida serial murders or the Nithari case) involved businessman Mohinder Singh Pandher and Surendra Koli, his domestic help. The two were accused of gruesome murders and rape. The murders came to light when two villagers found the body parts of children who were reported to be missing, in a drain near Pandher’s house in Nithari village, Noida. After the discovery of decomposed remains, the police intervened and Koli admitted to murdering six children and a young woman named “Payal”. The police’s handling of the case sparked outrage as locals accused them of negligence and corruption, alleging that the police wanted to cover up the true extent of the crimes. This led to clashes between the villagers and policemen. The murders were estimated to have happened between 8 February 2005 and 25 October 2006. Mohinder Pandher faced charges in five cases and was convicted in two. Surinder Koli was accused of assisting Pandher and faced 16 cases.

The accused of the Nithari serial murders, Surinder Koli (extreme left) and Mohinder Singh Pandher (extreme right)

An inquiry committee was established to investigate, and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the case. The CBI charged Surinder with 16 cases of murder, abduction, rape, and destruction of evidence. According to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Koli was reported to have necrophilic tendencies and a disorder where he consumed human flesh. However, he showed no signs of mental illness, and the killings were driven by “fantasy and compulsion”. According to the Directorate of Forensic Sciences (DFS) laboratory reports,

In Koli’s Narco analysis, he recalls making sexual attempts on 13 victims, 15 strangulations, 11 heads severed and thrown into the gallery, 14 bodies dismembered from shoulders, torsos cut into small pieces and packed in double polythene bags and disbursed in the nala (drain).” ^[2]mint

Modus Operandi

Both Pandher and Koli underwent brain mapping and narco-analysis tests in 2009 at the Directorate of Forensic Sciences (DFS) laboratory. During the tests, Koli mentioned encounters with “call girls” that his employer called to the house, which fueled his desires. He described disturbing dreams that led to his crimes, including attempts at cannibalism. According to the DFS reports, Koli admitted to having the urge to murder people and blamed the urge on his employer, Pandher. Koli stated that his dreams were of a woman in a white dress taunting him. The dreams disturbed him mentally until he was able to find a victim that he could rape and murder. The reports stated,

Koli’s first step was to throttle the victim with her own cloth and make her unresponsive, so as to try sex. In case the victim showed signs of waking up, he would kill her… He would carry the body to the bathroom on the first floor, leave the body there to cool down, wait until it got dark and then cut the body and pack body parts separately.” ^[3]mint

Suspicions arose regarding organ trafficking and cannibalism. During his tests, Koli admitted to trying to eat a boy’s liver and to eating the flesh of two of his victims. It was argued that Surinder was able to cut the bodies and dispose of them easily as he was an experienced butcher. Pandher was cleared of direct involvement in the murders but faced charges related to soliciting prostitution and destroying evidence. The CBI found no evidence supporting his awareness of the crimes but noted his involvement in illegal activities. While doubts remained about Pandher’s knowledge of the murders, his alibi suggested he was often away from the house during the crimes. The investigation uncovered additional remains and raised concerns about a potential child pornography racket.

Koli’s Convictions

In February 2009, Surinder Koli, along with Moninder Singh Pandher, was found guilty of the murder of Rimpa Haldar in 2005. They were given the death penalty because the crime was considered to be the “rarest of the rare”. After that, Surinder Koli was found guilty of other murders: in May 2010, he was found guilty of killing Arti Prasad, aged 7. In September 2010, he was found guilty of killing Rachna Lal, aged 9. In December 2010, he was found guilty of killing Deepali Sarkar, aged 12. In February 2011, the Supreme Court confirmed his death sentence. In December 2012, he was found guilty of killing Chhoti Kavita, aged 5.

A newspaper clipping with the pictures of the Nithari serial murder victims

In July 2014, former President the late Pranab Mukherjee rejected Surinder’s mercy petitions. On 3 September 2014, the Supreme Court issued a death warrant, and the next day, Surinder was transported from the Dasna Jail to the Meerut Jail due to a lack of hanging facilities.

Surinder Koli (left) in the “Vajra” (riot control) vehicle outside the Dasna Jail in Ghaziabad, before being transported to the Meerut Jail

In September 2014, Surinder Koli was supposed to be hanged for his crimes, but the Supreme Court commuted (stopped) the sentence, stating the reason was the delay in carrying out the sentence. However, in October 2014, the Supreme Court rejected the appeal to change his sentence. In January 2015, the High Court changed Surinder Koli’s death sentence to life imprisonment because there was a long delay in deciding his mercy petition. Later, in July 2017, both Surinder Koli and Moninder Singh Pandher were given the death sentence again. In 2019, Surinder Koli received another death sentence. Despite much evidence, both suspects were acquitted of the death sentence cases by the Allahabad High Court in 2023 due to “procedural flaws and insufficient proof”. Surinder is serving a life sentence in the Dasna Jail in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.

Controversy

Forced Confession

According to activists and internet users, Koli’s convictions were based on “coerced” confessions obtained under torture, which raised questions about the fairness of his trial. Despite significant doubts about the evidence against him, Koli received multiple death sentences, while Pandher was acquitted and granted bail. Koli’s plea for a review of his death sentence was rejected, denying him the right to a fair trial and legal representation. Moreover, his psychological assessment revealed mental disorders, which people said emphasised the need for diagnosis and treatment instead of punishment. Executing Koli would mean losing a key witness in Pandher’s case but also fails to address mental health. People argued that Koli’s case should be treated on the principles of human rights instead of a death sentence. People also criticised Surinder’s death sentence stating that he was receiving a harsh sentencing because of his Dalit caste. During an interview, he stated that he was innocent and gave the confessions under pressure from the CBI,

I am innocent and I have done nothing. Still I will be hanged. This is not an execution, this is a murder carried out by the government. I tried to prove my innocence in the court and also tried my best to convince the government that I have nothing to do with these killings. But nobody is ready to listen to me because I am poor…I was made to remember names and pictures of the children and the dates of the murders. Whatever I said in my confessional statement was told by the local police and the CBI. In my confessional statement, I also said many times that I was pressurized to say all these things.” ^[4]Beyond Headlines

He also stated that two doctors, Dr Agarwal and Dr Naveen Chaudhary, were the ones involved in organ trafficking. According to Surinder, he was being framed to save his employer and that he was a “scapegoat for the big fish”. ^[5]Beyond Headlines

Media Based On The Nithari Case

Various forms of media covered the Nithari murder case, including a BBC documentary titled “Slumdog Cannibal” in 2012, and an Indian documentary on Netflix called “The Karma Killings” in 2017.

The poster for the 2017 Netflix documentary, The Karma Killings, which is based on the Nithari serial murders

The case was also featured in the bestselling book “The Deadly Dozen: India’s Most Notorious Serial Killers” by Anirban Bhattacharyya. Additionally, it was featured in episodes of true crime podcasts such as “The Desi Crime Podcast” and the “RedHanded,” podcast whose episode on the case was titled “Village of the Damned: The Nithari Child Murders”. Mohit Suri’s 2011 film “Murder 2,” starring Emraan Hashmi and Jacqueline Fernandez, is also based on this case.

Facts/Trivia

• Surinder Koli also goes by the aliases Subhash Koli, Surendra Koli, and Satish.

• He used to live in his employer, Mohinder Pandher’s house, D-5, Sector 31, near Nithari village in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The house is now considered to be “haunted” and people avoid going near the area. Fans, TVs, ACs, and the house’s gate had been stolen over the years.
  

  Mohinder Singh Pandher’s house near Nithari village in Noida, which is associated with the 2006 Nithari serial murders

• When Surinder was in jail, he used to study the law and only interacted with inmates who had studied the law.

• Surinder always maintained that he was being framed for the crimes. His mother and wife made the same statements and always defended Surinder saying he was being framed.

Sharon

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, also known as MSG ^[1]Saint Dr. Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan is a controversial Indian religious leader, who is the head of Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS). He has been convicted in two rape cases and two murders. Numerous cases registered against him include accusations of forced castration of followers and hurting the religious sentiments of Sikhs and Hindus.

Wiki/Biography

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan ^[2]Saint Dr. Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan was born as Harpal Singh ^[3]The Quint on Monday, 10 July 1967 (age 57 years; as of 2024) in Kikar Khera, Punjab.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s birth certificate, issued by the Department of Health & Family Welfare Punjab, which shows his real name, date of birth, and birthplace

He publically claims that he was born on Tuesday, 15 August 1967 in Sri Gurusar Modia, Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan. ^[4]News18 His real zodiac sign is Cancer. According to his fake birthday 15 August, his zodiac is Leo. Sources say that he was expelled from school when he was in Class 9. ^[5]India Today

Childhood picture of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh

Physical Appearance

Height (approx.): 5′ 11″

Hair Colour: Black

Eye Colour: Black

Family & Caste

He belongs to a Jatt Sikh family. ^[6]India Today

Parents & Siblings

His father, Maghar Singh (deceased), was a landlord in Rajasthan’s Sri Ganganagar district. His mother, Naseeb Kaur, was a homemaker. Reportedly, Ram Rahim was born after 18 years of marriage. He is an only child. ^[7]India Today

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s father, Maghar Singh

Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s mother, Naseeb Kaur

Wife & Children

In the 1980s, at the age of 18, Ram Rahim got married to Harjeet Kaur.

An old picture of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh with his wife and children

Together, they have two daughters, Charanpreet Kaur Insan and Amarpreet Kaur Insan, and a son, Jasmeet Singh Insan. Ram Rahim adopted a girl named Honeypreet Kaur as his third daughter in 2009. Jasmeet is married to Husanmeet Kaur, the daughter of Punjab Congress MLA Harminder Singh Jassi.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh with his daughters, Charanpreet Kaur, Amarpreet Kaur, and Honeypreet

Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s son Jasmeet Insan with his wife Husanmeet Insan

Others 

His daughters, Charanpreet and Amarpreet, are married, and their husbands help run the Dera’s activities. Ram Rahim gave unique names to Charanpreet’s sons. One is named Sweetluck Singh and the other is named Subah-e-Dil.

Religion/Religious Views

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan is the Chief of Dera Sacha Sauda, which promotes humanity as the greatest religion. ^[8]Dera Sacha Sauda

Signature/Autograph

Autograph of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan

Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS)

Ram Rahim was just seven when his father, Maghar Singh, started visiting the religious cult Dera Sacha Sauda. It was founded by Baba Balochistani Beparwah Mastana ji in 1948. A large proportion of Dera followers came from the backward classes or Dalit communities. Growing up, Ram Rahim helped his father with volunteer work at the Dera. He would do various odd jobs. In 1990, Shah Satnam decided he wanted to retire and choose someone to take over his leadership position. At that time, three people were being considered for the role, but Gurmeet was not one of them. Surprisingly, Shah Satnam picked Gurmeet Singh to be the new leader and gave him the special name Huzoor Maharaj Gurmeet Ram Rahim. On 23 September 1990, at the age of 23, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh became the third Chief of the DSS.

Like the previous Dera heads, who lived a simple life, Gurmeet enjoyed wearing bright, flashy clothes and living a life full of glamour. The media often called him names like“godman of bling,” guru in bling,” and “Baba of bling.” because of his love for shiny outfits.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim arriving for a press conference in New Delhi

When he took over, the Dera had just under a million followers, but with him in charge, that number grew more than 70 times. His followers began using the last name “Insan.” They called Ram Rahim Pita-ji. ^[9]Hindustan Times The Dera’s main campus in Sirsa spread over 700 acres, was like a fantasy world. It included a heart-shaped hospital named Shah Satnamji Speciality Hospital, a big mall with a food court, a fancy ship-shaped resort called MSG Resort, a modern gym, a school named Saint MSG Glorious International School, and much more.

One of the wonder villas inside the Dera

There was even a theme park area with copies of famous places like the Taj Mahal, the Eiffel Tower, and Disneyland, among others. During an interview with the media in November 2014, Ram Rahim revealed that he attracted the youth by offering them sugar-coated pills of quinine. ^[10]India Today

A picture of the theme park-like resort at the DSS headquarters in Sirsa

Exploitation of Women Devotees

In the heart of Dera was a special place, a cave-like underground house called ‘Tera Was,’ his private residence. It was also referred to as Ram Rahim’s ‘gufa.’ He used this place to sexually exploit his women devotees. Girls were posted at the gate of the gufa as security guards. There was a tunnel that connected Tera Was to female disciples’ hostel (Sadhvi Niwas).  He would choose a woman devotee and convince her to submit to him physically, saying that this was an act of pardon (maafi). The women were led to believe that this was a divine act. After being raped, these women stayed at the Dera until they were married to male followers chosen by Ram Rahim himself. Usually, these men were either neutered or served Ram Rahim as slaves. ^[11]India Today.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s mysterious cave, where he exploited his women devotees

Public Welfare Projects

Ram Rahim started many projects to help the community, like health check-ups for blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol, which were recognized by Guinness World Records. He has six Guinness World Records: three for setting up the biggest blood donation camps and three for the largest tree planting events. He teamed up with the American Society of Echocardiography to create a world record for the “Most Cardiac Echo Tests” done at one event. In 2009, he began a mission to stop forced prostitution and help women leave the sex industry, even helping them marry into good families. He also offered medical help to those with HIV/AIDS and other diseases. Rahim inspired his followers to marry these women, leading to 1500 men agreeing to marry women who had left prostitution behind. Many of these marriages have been successful.

He contributed to sports by establishing the MSG Bharatiya Khel Gaon, a sports complex spread across 23 acres in his Dera headquarters.

Entertainment Industry

Singing devotional songs to the tunes of electric guitar, Ram Rahim gained the reputation of a “Rockstar Baba.” ^[12]The Economic Times among his followers. In 2012, one of the world’s largest music companies Universal Music tied up with Ram Rahim for the commercial launch of his music. Thereafter, he released various music albums under Universal Music like Thank You For That (2012), Network Tere Love Ka (2012), Chashma Yaar Ka (2012), Insan (2012), and Lov Rab Se (2013).

Album cover of Network Tere Love Ka (2012)

In 2014, his 19th studio album Highway Love Charger gained immense popularity, selling 3 million copies in the first three days. The album was also an instant hit on YouTube. Eventually, he hosted hundreds of concerts called ‘Ruhani Ru-ba-Ru Nights.’

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh during a concert

On 13 February 2015, he made his film debut with MSG: The Messenger of God in which he played the lead role of Guruji, an action-hunk social reformer who works to help people fight against social evils.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh as Guruji in MSG: The Messenger (2015)

Its sequel was released in September of the same year. Critics gave the film negative reviews, calling it a piece of propaganda. Despite this, it is said that the support from Ram Rahim’s followers helped the movie make over 100 crore.  Thereafter, he starred in MSG: The Warrior Lion Heart (2016), Hind ka Napak ko Jawab (2017), and Jattu Engineer (2017). Ram Rahim is credited in multiple departments of his films, which include direction, writing, choreography, editing, make-up and hair design, background scoring, and prop design. On 2 September 2017, the Indian Film & Television Directors’ Association (IFTDA) and the Cine and TV Artists Association (CINTAA) barred Ram Rahim from being involved in any upcoming film and TV endeavours in India due to his involvement in criminal activities and unethical conduct.

Political Influence

With over five crore fanatic followers, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh gained importance among political parties. Ahead of the 2007 Punjab polls, Ram Rahim showed support to the Amarinder Singh-led Congress. The Dera backed the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP in the 2012 and 2017 Punjab polls. ^[13]India Today In 2014, the Dera’s political branch, Saadh Sangat Rajnitik, supported the BJP in the Haryana Assembly elections. This was the first time the BJP won in the state, securing 47 out of 90 seats and forming the government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and campaigned near the Dera headquarters before the elections. Led by Kailash Vijayvargiya, BJP’s election head in Haryana, 44 BJP candidates visited Singh for his blessings. Before that, BJP chief Amit Shah had also met with the Dera leader.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh launching a cleanliness drive in Delhi along with the BJP’s Manoj Tiwari and General VK Singh

Controversies

Two Rape Convictions

In 2002, Gurmeet Ram Rahim was accused of sexual assault by his two female disciples. One of the victims reached out to the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee via a letter, claiming Ram Rahim sexually abused his female disciples at the Dera. This letter led to a CBI investigation when the Punjab and Haryana High Court sought a detailed report on the allegations from the District and Sessions Judge of Sirsa. ^[14]India Today The case saw a significant moment in 2014 when Ram Rahim claimed he was impotent since 1990. His claims were dismissed by a special CBI court. In 2017, after a 15-year-long legal battle, Ram Rahim was found guilty of two counts of rape by a special CBI court in Panchkula, Haryana, and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. ^[15]The Times of India A Haryana court granted a parole to him for 21 days in August 2024. His parole began on the morning of 13 August 2024. ^[16]Hindustan Times

Murder of Journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati

Ram Chander Chhatrapati was the first journalist who published an anonymous letter accusing Ram Rahim of rape in 2002. Chhatrapati was shot at point-blank range outside his residence in Sirsa on 24 October 2002 by two local carpenters named Nirmal Singh and Kuldeep Singh. On 11 January 2019, Ram Rahim was found guilty of involvement in the murder. He received a life sentence from a Special CBI Court on 17 January 2019. At that time, he was already serving a 20-year sentence in two rape cases. ^[17]The Times of India

Murder of Dera Manager Ranjit Singh

In 2002, Ranjit Singh, who previously served as the manager of the Dera, was murdered in the fields near his village in the Kurukshetra district. He was the sibling of the woman who anonymously accused Ram Rahim of sexual assault in a letter to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Nearly two decades later, on 18 October 2021, a Special CBI Court in Panchkula sentenced Ram Rahim and four others to life imprisonment for their involvement in Singh’s murder. The co-accused in the case included Avtar Singh, Krishan Lal, Jasbir Singh, and Sabdil Singh. Inder Sain, another accused, died during the trial in 2020. ^[18]The Times of India On 28 May 2024, the Punjab and Haryana High Court didn’t find him guilty of Singh’s murder and acquitted him along with four others. ^[19]Hindustan Times

Dressing as Guru Gobind Singh

In May 2007, Ram Rahim provoked the Sikh community by modelling a pink robe similar to that of Guru Gobind Singh at a congregation in Salabatpura, Bathinda.

Ram Rahim imitating Guru Gobind Singh at a congregation in Salabatpura, Bathinda in 2007

He also wore a turban with a kalgi (an egret feather) just like Guru Gobind Singh. This led to a series of violent protests and vandalism by Sikhs throughout India. Although the DSS tendered multiple apologies saying that there was a misunderstanding, legal cases were registered against Ram Rahim. ^[20]The Times of India On 27 September 2015, the Akal Takht, the supreme religious authority of the Sikhs, accepted Ram Rahim’s apology for his imitation of Guru Gobind Singh and granted him a pardon. However, this decision was reversed on 16 October, due to widespread discord and protests from Sikhs, who were deeply upset by the pardon. ^[21]Hindustan Times

Guru Granth Sahib Sacrilege Cases

In 2015,  Ram Rahim faced accusations in three incidents related to the theft and sacrilege of the Bir Sahibs, copies of the Sikh holy book Guru Granth Sahib. These incidents involved the display of offensive posters on 24 September 2015, and the scattering of torn pages from the Bir Sahib in Bargari on 12 October 2015. ^[22]Hindustan Times

Booked for Posing as Lord Vishnu

In January 2016, he hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus by dressing up as Lord Vishnu. In a viral video, Ram Rahim was seen descending from the sky wearing an outfit which looked similar to that of Lord Vishnu. Thereafter, activists of Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) lodged a complaint against him with the Moga police. ^[23]Hindustan Times

A collage showing similarity between Lord Vishnu and Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s outfit

Forced Castration of Followers

In 2018, the CBI accused Ram Rahim and two doctors, Pankaj Garg and M P Singh, of forcing castration on 400 followers of the Dera. Castration is when the testicles of a male animal or person are removed. Ram Rahim denied the charges. On 5 October 2018, a court in Panchkula gave him bail for this case, but he stayed in jail because he was serving a 20-year sentence in two rape cases. ^[24]The Economic Times

Awards, Honours, Achievements

• On 27 October 2013, he received a Global Plaque from Universal Music for the highest sale of one of his music albums.
  

  Gurmeet Ram Rahim receiving Global Plaque by Universal Music on 27 October 2013

• In 2016, he won the Dadasaheb Phalke Film Foundation Award (2016) in the category of “Most Popular Actor, Director, and Writer.”
  

  Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh accepting the Dadasaheb Phalke Film Foundation Award (2016)

• In 2016, he received a Platinum Plaque for Best Composition & Best Music Direction by IFPI And Sony DADC for over 1 Million (10 lakhs) sales of CDs and DVDs of his film MSG: The Messenger (2015).
  

  Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh receiving a Platinum Plaque for Best Composition & Best Music Direction by IFPI And Sony DADC in 2016

• In 2016, he received the Giants International Award for his social welfare works.
  

  Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh receiving Giants International Award for his social welfare works in 2016

• On 6 February 2017, he won Bright Award for “Best Actor & Most Versatile Personality,” presented to him at the Hotel Peninsula Grand in Andheri, Mumbai.
  

  Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh receiving Bright Award for Best Actor & Most Versatile Personality on 6 February 2017 at the Hotel Peninsula Grand in Andheri, Mumbai

Car Collection

• Modified Hyundai Santro
  

  Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s Modified Hyundai Santro

• A Hummer look-alike
  

  Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh driving his Hummer look-alike

• Bugatti Veyron (Honda Accord)
  

  Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh posing with his Bugatti Veyron (Honda Accord)

• Modified Maruti Suzuki Gypsy
  

  Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s modified Maruti Suzuki Gypsy

• Range Rover

• Ford Endeavour

He owns various other vehicles apart from the above-mentioned cars. Most of them a customised by him. Pictures of some of them are mentioned below.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s car

Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s car

Gurmeet Ram Rahim driving his purple car

One of the cars of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh

A car of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh

Facts/Trivia

• Soon after Ram Rahim took over as the leader of the Dera in 1990, people there began to claim that he was the rebirth of Beparwah Mastana Balochistani. Reportedly, Balochistani, who passed away in 1960, had predicted he would come back to life seven years later. Being born in 1967 supported Ram Rahim’s position as the head of the Dera.

• When Ram Rahim was working at the Dera, his friend Gurjant Singh was sent to jail because he avenged his uncle’s death. In jail, Gurjant was influenced by Khalistani militants. Gurjant joined the Khalistani movement after getting out of jail and moved up in the ranks quickly. Locals in Sirsa say that Gurjant played a part in Ram Rahim becoming the leader of the Dera, but there’s no solid evidence of any threats by Gurjant.

• It is believed that his nickname MSG originates from either the first letters of the names of the three Dera leaders, Shah Mastana, Shah Satnam, and Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, or it stands for “Messenger of God.”

• He officially renounced his family and adopted celibacy after becoming the Dera chief. Despite the announcement, he was often seen posing with his family members at various public events.

• His wife has managed to remain out of the spotlight. It is believed that she remains within the Dera complex and dresses in plain clothes similar to the other followers, which is why she often goes unnoticed.

• Ram Rahim’s adopted daughter, Honeypreet Insan, had been his follower since the late ’90s. Ram Rahim organized her wedding in 1999 to Vishwas Gupta, a Dera devotee. Later on, Honeypreet claimed that her husband’s family was pressuring her for a dowry to fund Vishwas’s business. On the contrary, Vishwas alleged that Honeypreet and Ram Rahim were involved in an inappropriate relationship. In 2011, Vishwas approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court, trying to get his wife back from Ram Rahim’s custody. In 2014, Vishwas and his father dismissed accusations against Ram Rahim and publically apologized to him.

• His daughters call themselves Papa’s Angels. ^[25]India Today

• On 2 February 2008, an attempt was made on Ram Rahim’s life with explosives near Nilokheri in the Karnal district. The explosion injured 11 people, including six security personnel. Bakshish Singh, a member of the Khalistan Liberation Force, was later arrested for planning the attack with his accomplices. This happened after Ram Rahim hurt the religious sentiments of the Sikhs by wearing clothing similar to Guru Gobind Singh in an advertisement.

• In 2015, The Indian Express named Ram Rahim as one of the top 100 most influential people in India.

• More than 4,000 recommendations were seeking the Padma Award for Dera Sacha Sauda chief Ram Rahim in 2017.

• After he was convicted in two sexual assault cases in 2017, riots and extensive destruction broke out across India. It’s reported that between 31 and 38 members of his group died and 120 to 300 were injured during clashes with the police. On 26 August 2017, the High Court of Punjab and Haryana ordered the police to take over Dera’s properties to pay for the damage done by his followers during the riots.

• Following orders from the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the Haryana government disclosed that the Dera Sacha Sauda’s total valuation in Sirsa was approximately Rs 1,453 crore. It was further estimated that the DSS held assets across the state worth about Rs 1,600 crore. ^[26]India Today

• On the other hand, the Punjab government valued Dera’s properties within its jurisdiction at Rs 52 crore. ^[27]The Indian Express The DSS had Rs 74.96 crore spread across 473 bank accounts, while Ram Rahim possessed Rs 7.72 crore in 12 personal bank accounts. ^[28]The Indian Express Additionally, it was revealed that DSS owned 56 acres of land in the Nalgonda district of Telangana in the same year. ^[29]Hindustan Times

• While he was in jail, a panel of five medical professionals, along with a psychiatrist among them from PGIMS, determined that Ram Rahim Singh showed symptoms of sex addiction. They diagnosed him with satyriasis, uncontrollable or excessive sexual desire in a man. ^[30]India Today

• It was also reported the Dera chief consumed alcohol till 1988. ^[31]India Today While talking about the same, a doctor said,
  

  He may not be drinking liquor now, but he regularly consumed energy drinks and sex tonics that were specially imported from Australia and other countries.”

• He has been occasionally spotted smoking a cigar.
  

  Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh smoking cigar in a helicopter

• In 2022, while he was serving his life sentence, Ram Rahim announced that his blood type had shifted from O positive to O negative. However, the Dera leader failed to provide any proof of it, whether medical or otherwise. ^[32]DNA

• He holds 22 Guinness records for various achievements, including creating the largest poster and the biggest finger-painting, having the most people sanitizing hands at once, and receiving the highest number of birthday videos (32,207) in one day.

• The Yoga Federation of India (YFI) suggested him for the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2017 Dronacharya Awards for training yogis who became world champion yogis.’

• In 2020, Ram Rahim was allowed a one-day parole, followed by a 12-hour parole in 2021 to see his ailing mother.

• On 22 February 2022, he received Z-Plus security from the Haryana government due to threats from pro-Khalistan groups. This security measure was implemented while he was on a 21-day furlough starting 7 February 2022, to visit relatives in Gurugram.

• During a 30-day parole in June 2022, he resided at his Dera Sacha Sauda Ashram in Barnawa, Uttar Pradesh.

• In October 2022, while on a 40-day parole, he published music videos for “Sadi Nit Diwali,” “Jaago Duniya De Loko,” and “Chat Pe Chat” on YouTube.

• Another 40-day parole was granted to him in January 2023, during which a video of him cutting a cake with a sword at Barnala Ashram in Baghpat went viral on 23 January 2023, violating the Arms Act of 1959’s rules against public display of weapons.

• Further paroles were granted to him for 30 days in July 2023 and 21 days in November 2023.

• On 19 January 2024, he was again permitted a 50-day parole.

Tamanpreet

Brajesh Thakur is a former Indian journalist and politician. He is the main accused in the infamous Muzaffarpur Shelter Home Rape Case (2018).

Wiki/Biography

Brajesh Thakur was born on Monday, 4 November 1968 (age 55 years; as of 2023) in Village Pachdahi, Madhubani, Bihar. His zodiac sign is Scorpio.

Physical Appearance

Height (approx.): 5′ 7″

Hair Colour: Black

Eye Colour: Brown

Family

Brajesh Thakur belongs to a Bhumihar Hindu family. ^[1]BBC Hindi

Parents & Siblings

His father, Radha Mohan Thakur, was a teacher at the Hari Narayan Government Primary School on Club Road in Muzaffarpur. Brajesh’s father started a newspaper named Pratah Kamal in 1982. His father was also the chairman of All India Small and Medium News Papers Society and was once arrested in a newsprint scam. His mother, Manorama Devi, was a health worker (Auxiliary nurse midwife) in a village. He has a younger brother named Rajesh Thakur.

Wife & Children

His wife, Kumari Asha, worked as a teacher at R S College, Muzaffarpur. His son, Rahul Anand, is the editor of the Hindi newspaper Pratah Kamal, and he also contested the Zilla Parishad elections in 2016. His daughter, Nikita Anand, is the editor of English daily News Next.

Brajesh Thakur’s wife

Brajesh Thakur’s daughter

Brajesh Thakur’s son

Career

Journalist

In 1982, his father started a Hindi newspaper named Pratah Kamal. When he grew up, he joined his father’s newspaper printing press. After his father’s demise, he got ownership of the newspaper and started working as an editor and publisher of the newspaper.

Pratah Kamal owned by Brajesh Thakur

With the newspaper advertisements, he used to make big profits. In 2012, he started an English newspaper News Nest and an Urdu newspaper Haalat-e-Bihar. Later, he got a Press Information Bureau accreditation. ^[2]The Economic Times

Politician

While working as a newspaper editor, he developed good relations with various politicians. In 1993, he joined the Indian politician Anand Mohan’s party Bihar People’s Party. In 1995, Brajesh contested assembly elections from Kurhani assembly seat of Muzaffarpur. He got only 202 votes and lost by a huge margin to RJD candidate Basavan Bhagat. In 2000, he again contested assembly elections from Kurhani. He got 32,795 votes and lost against Basavan Bhagat who got 48,343 votes. In 2018, after his arrest in Muzaffarpur Shelter Home Rape Case, he said he had planned to join Congress.

Muzaffarpur Shelter Home Rape Case

Brajesh Thakur had started various NGOs in Muzaffarpur including Balika Griha (started in 2013) which was adjoining his newspaper press. In November 2017, a female government official visited the NGO for a survey, and in front of her, the girls living in the home shelter started crying. The female official suspected that something was wrong there, and in her survey report, she even requested the Bihar government to take some action to identify the problem there, but due to Brajesh’s political influence, her report was neglected.

Balika Griha shelter home in Muzaffarpur where girls were sexually assaulted

Discovery of the Crime

In March 2018, while a team of the ‘Koshish Project’ of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) Mumbai (led by Mohd Tarique) was in Bihar for a social audit of shelter homes, they visited Balika Griha Muzaffarpur owned by Brajesh Thakur. The team asked the staff of the shelter home to let them talk to girls in private. The girls in the shelter home took advantage of this opportunity and shared all their ill experiences in the shelter home. The girls said that they were sexually abused by Brajesh Thakur and a few other men in the shelter home. They even shared that a few politicians and a few ladies were also involved in the crime. The team of TISS submitted their report to the Bihar government in May 2018 in which they mentioned that the girls in the shelter home were being sexually abused.

Mohd Tarique, who led the team of TISS in the Muzaffarpur Shelter Home Rape Case

However, in the same year, lakhs of funds were allocated to Brajesh Thakur by the Bihar government for Brajesh’s NGOs and the report of TISS was also neglected. Within a few months of the TISS survey, a girl of the Balika Grah went missing and a missing FIR was filed in the local police station. Some nearby people claimed that the NGO people killed the girl and buried her near the shelter home. During the investigation, a few girls in the shelter home talked to a local newspaper about the sexual abuse in the shelter home. The team of TISS also came into the media and talked about the reports they had submitted to the Bihar Government. The media houses then started putting pressure on the Bihar Government to take some action and review the TISS report. The Bihar Government then reviewed the reports, and on 25 May 2018, around 42 girls were immediately rescued from the shelter home and were shifted to the shelter homes of Madhubani, Patna, and Mokama.

Victim girls being rescued from the shelter home

The statements of the 42 girls were recorded infront of the magistrate, and they were medically examined at Patna Medical College Hospital (PMCH). According to one of the victims,

Brijesh killed one girl and put her in a tank. Brijesh through (two other victims) and Meenu Aunty got a mentally challenged girl killed. Brijesh had told them, “If you don’t kill her, I will kill you.” Brijesh killed her by stepping on her neck and (the two others) and Meenu had held her limbs. After the death, Meenu Aunty had her thrown into a gunny bag. I saw through a window. If someone asked, it was told that a dog has died.”

Out of 42 girls, the sexual abuse of 34 girls and abortion by a few girls was confirmed. A few girls were missing from the shelter and it was said that the girls were buried in NGO premises.

A picture of the premises of the Muzaffarpur shelter home being dug by the local police in search of dead girls

Based on the statements, an FIR against Brajesh Thakur and 11 other accused were registered by local police on 31 May 2018. On 2 August 2018, the Supreme Court of India took a Suo Moto cognizance (it means when the courts in India take a case on their own) of the case. On 14 June 2018, Bihar’s Women and Child Development Ministry sealed the shelter home. Later, the case was transferred to CBI.

Arrests in the Case

In June 2018, Brajesh Thakur was arrested as the main accused in the case. Later ten more people were arrested in the case i.e;

Brajesh Thakur: He was the owner of the shelter home and was accused of raping the girls in the shelter home.

Brajesh Thakur smiling after being arrested in the shelter home rape case

Shaista Parveen alias Madhu: She was managing the NGO Seva Sankalp and Vikas Samiti. She used to force girls to wear revealing clothes and dance to adult songs.

A picture of Shaista Parveen alias Madhu one of the accused in Muzaffarpur Shelter Home Rape Case

Ravi Kumar Roshan: He was the Child Protection Officer (CPO) and was accused of rape.

Vikas Kumar: He was one of the members of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC). He used to give sleeping pills to the girls and was accused of sexual abuse.

Dilip Kumar Verma: He was the chairman of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and was also accused of sexual abuse.

Rosie Rani: She was the assistant director of the Child Protection Unit, and even when girls told her about their sufferings, she did not take action and supported Brajesh Thakur.

Dr. Prameela: She was a doctor and used to conduct medical checkups of the girls. Even after knowing everything, she used to give medicines to girls to get relief from pain.

Ramashankar Singh aka Master Saheb: He was the manager of the newspaper press owned by Brajesh. He used to beat girls and sexually abuse them.

Dr. Ashwani alias Asmani: He was another doctor of girls and used to traumatise them.

Vijay Kumar Tiwari, Guddu, and Krishna Ram: They were servants of Brajesh and were involved in the sexual abuse of girls.

Indu Kumari, Meenu Devi, Chanda Devi, Neha Kumari, Hema Masih, and Kiran Kumari: They were employees of the shelter home and were accused of drugging the girls and assaulting them.

Manju Verma: Manju Verma (a politician) was accused of supporting Brajesh as her husband was one of the men involved in the sexual abuse of girls. She resigned from the post of Minister of Social Welfare in Bihar on 8 August 2018.

A picture of Manju Verma, a politician whose husband Chandrashekhar Verma was accused of having relations with Brajesh Thakur in Muzaffarpur shelter home case

Verdict in the Case

In February 2019, the CBI requested the Supreme Court to transfer the case from a local court to the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court at Saket District Court in Delhi. Supreme Court even directed the POCSO court to conclude the trial within six months. In the 1546-page judgement, the POCSO court sentenced life imprisonment to Brajesh for offences under Indian Penal Code sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 324 (causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and those relating to abetment, Section 21 (failure to report the commission of an offence) of the POCSO Act and Section 75 (cruelty to child) of the Juvenile Justice Act.”

Verdict of Brajesh Thakur

Aftermath

A rage among people started against the NGO owners and the Bihar government. People started organising candle marches to support the victim girls. The opposition parties also supported the protests.

A picture from one of the protests in support of Muzaffarpur Shelter home rape victims

Later, while Brajesh Thakur was in a court premises for his hearing, a woman threw black ink on his face.

Brajesh Thakur after black ink was thrown on his face by a woman

In Popular Media

In 2023, the first look of the Hindi film titled ‘Nafisa’ based on the Muzaffarpur shelter home rape case was released.

Nafisa

In February 2024, a Netflix film titled ‘Bhakshak’ was released based on the Muzaffarpur shelter home rape case. The role of Brajesh Thakur was portrayed by the Indian actor Aditya Srivastava (famous as Senior Inspector Abhijeet in the TV show CID).

A still of Aditya Srivastava as Brajesh Thakur from the Hindi film Bhakshak (2024)

Car Collection

In 2018, he had two SUVs with VIP numbers including a Fortuner. ^[3]The Indian Express

Assets & Properties

• Residential buildings in Palam (Delhi), Samastipur, Darbhanga, Motihari, Patna, Muzaffarpur

• Three-storey building house adjoining newspaper office

• Eleven NGOs including Seva Sankalp, Vikas Samiti, Vama Shakti Vahini, and Balika Griha
  

  Vama Shakti Vahini owned by Brajesh Thakur

• RM Palace Hotel in Muzaffarpur
  

  RM Palace owned by Brajesh Thakur

• Ten bighas of agricultural land at Patahi in Samastipur

• Twenty acres of agricultural land in his native village Pachdahi (Muzaffarpur)

Brajesh Thakur’s assets and properties

Note: The given estimates of the assets are according to the year 2018. ^[4]News 18

Income/Salary

In 2018, he used to earn Rs 3 crore a year. ^[5]YouTube – India Today He used to get a salary of Rs 18000 for working in Pratah Kamal. ^[6]YouTube – India Today

Facts/Trivia

• The victim girls of his home shelter used to call him ‘Hunter Wale Uncle’ as he used to hit the girls with Hunter when they refused to agree to his demands. ^[7]India Today

• According to an investigation by a leading media house, it was discovered that his father’s newspaper Pratah Kamal used to sell 300 copies a day. However, they claimed that they sold more than 60,000 copies of newspapers daily. It was also reported that his newspaper house used to get Rs 40 lakh annually from the government for advertisements. ^[8]The Indian Express

• Reportedly, in 2005, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar attended the birthday party of Brajesh’s son Rahul Anand. His photographs with various leading politicians were recovered from his home during the investigation.
  

  Brajesh Thakur with Dilmani Devi

• In 2018, after his arrest in the home shelter rape case, he said,
  

  I was thinking of joining the Congress and it was almost final that I will contest elections from Muzaffarpur. That is the reason why I have been unnecessarily framed in the case. None of the girls (inmates of the shelter home) has taken my name. You can check that yourself.”

Sheena Bhardwaj

Senior Content Writer with 6+ years of experience in website content writing. Specialises in creating engaging, user-focused content that helps brands communicate effectively and grow their online presence.

Mrinank Singh is an Indian cricketer turned conman, who formerly played cricket for Haryana at the Under-19 level. He has allegedly cheated multiple luxury hotels and resorts in India. Mrinank also duped the Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant of Rs. 1.6 crores in 2021. In December 2023, he was arrested by the Delhi Police for duping people after he was detained at Indira Gandhi International Airport while he was trying to escape to Hong Kong.

Wiki/Biography

Mrinank Singh was born on Wednesday, 5 August 1998 (age 25 years; as of 2023) in Hanumangarh, Haryana. His zodiac sign is Leo.

Mrinank Singh in childhood

After completing his schooling, Mrinank enrolled at the Hindu College, Delhi University, to pursue a B.Com. He later obtained an MBA in Human Resources from OPJS University in Rajasthan. ^[1]The Times of India ^[2]NDTV

Physical Appearance

Height (approx.): 5′ 9″

Hair Colour: Brown

Eye Colour: Brown

Family

Parents & Siblings

According to Mrinank, his father, Ashok Kumar Singh, is a former cricketer who played for India in the late 1980s. As of 2023, Ashok is working as a manager with Air India and posted at Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi. Mrinank has a brother named Akash Singh Raghav. As per some sources, his family disowned him after he got involved in criminal activities as they had no control over him.

Mrinank Singh’s father

Mrinank Singh with his brother

Wife

Mrinank Singh is unmarried.

Religion

Mrinank Singh follows Christianity. ^[3]Mrinank Singh – Instagram

Career

Mrinank Singh started his career as a cricketer. He was once a part of the Haryana Under-19 cricket team. In 2017, he played several practice matches for Kings XI Punjab during the Indian Premier League Season 10.

Mrinank Singh in a practice match for Kings XI Punjab

Mrinank also claims to have played for the Mumbai Indians from 2014 to 2018. Mrinank played for the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) team in the DDCA Men’s Hot-Weather Cricket Tournament.

Mrinank Singh posing with the winner’s trophy

He also claims to have played in the 2021 Ranji Trophy.

Defrauding Cases

Duping the Taj Palace Hotel in Delhi

In 2022, Mrinank booked a suite at the Taj Palace Hotel in Delhi for a week. During checkout, he told the hotel staff that he was a cricketer and was sponsored by Adidas, so the company would be paying the bill amounting to Rs. 5.53 lakhs. The hotel staff was convinced by him and shared their bank details with him. Mrinank then showed a transaction ID of Rs. 2 lakhs and left the hotel. However, the ID turned out to be fake. The hotel staff then called him several times, asking him to clear his dues. Mrinank, however, gave false promises every time and later switched off his phone. A complaint was filed against him for the same by the hotel.

Cheating Rishabh Pant

Mrinank Singh met the Indian cricketer Rishabh Pant through sports at a zonal cricket academy camp. In 2021, he approached Rishabh, saying that he had started a new business dealing in luxury items and that he could procure luxury items like watches for Pant at a very reasonable cost. Rishabh then transferred a good amount of money to Mrinank’s account to procure expensive watches. Mrinank also took some jewellery and other luxury items belonging to Pant, saying that he would sell them for huge profits. When Mrinank was unable to provide the said items to Rishabh, he issued a legal notice against Singh and a mutual settlement was made at Rs 1.63 crores. Although Mrinank issued a cheque to Pant amounting to Rs. 1.63 crores, when Pant tried to cash it, the cheque bounced due to insufficient funds. A complaint was made to the police by Rishabh for the same.

Defrauding a Travel Agent from Jalandhar, Punjab

Mrinank was also accused of duping a Jalandhar-based travel agent of Rs. 5.76 lakhs by pretending to be the ADGP of Chandigarh. He was allegedly arrested for the same in August 2023 but was later released on bail.

Cheating a Film Director

Mrinank met a film director (who did not wish to be named) at a five-star hotel in Chandigarh and gave him an offer to invest in his upcoming film. He then fixed a meeting with the scriptwriter of the film in Mumbai. Apparently, a few days later, Mrinank called the film director and asked him to clear his hotel bills as he misplaced his wallet. While talking about the same in a media conversation, the film director said,

He asked me if I could transfer Rs 25,000 to him. I felt a little suspicious, but I was busy, so I transferred the amount.”

Although Singh promised to pay back the amount to the film director, he kept delaying it and never paid it back.

Other Cheating Cases

Mrinank’s other victims include young women, cab drivers, bars, restaurants, and small eating outlets. Very similar to how he duped the Indian cricketer Rishabh Pant, Mrinank cheated a Mumbai-based businessman of Rs. 6 lakhs on the pretext of arranging expensive watches and mobile phones for him at a reasonable cost. However, later Mrinank stopped answering his calls. Apparently, the two met on Instagram in 2018, became friends, and attended various parties together. The businessman resides in Juhu in Mumbai. Two other criminal cases were registered against him in Karnal and Mohali.

Arrest

Mrinank was arrested by the Delhi Police on 25 December 2023 from the Delhi airport while he was trying to escape to Hong Kong. Apparently, he knew that police was after him for his alleged cheating cases and had kept his phone off for a long time. To misguide the police, he made his acquaintances believe that he was settled in Dubai. In 2023, a lookout notice was issued against him after which he was detained at the immigration office of the Delhi airport. At the airport, he made an attempt to defraud the immigration officials by posing as Alok Kumar, Additional Director General of Karnataka Police. To escape the arrest, he called some senior police officials, saying that he required help to help his son Mrinank Singh who was illegally detained at the Delhi airport. After the initial investigation, the police revealed that many objectionable pictures of him with young models were there on his phone. Some material on his phone also hinted at him being involved in purchasing drugs and consuming it. The police revealed that he used to befriend multiple young women by posing as an IPL player.

Mrinank Singh arrested by the Delhi Police at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi while he was trying to escape to Hong Kong

Modus Operandi

Mrinank Singh wanted to live a luxurious life since he was a child and in order to fulfil his desire, he began duping people, restaurants, and luxury hotels. In one of his statements, he revealed that he used to make people believe that he was an IPL player who played for Mumbai Indians from 2014 to 2018 to create an impression on them. He often used the trick to lure women, cheat international brands dealing with sports accessories, dine in at various luxury restaurants, and stay at five-star hotels without paying the bills. He also used to defraud people, saying that he was dealing in luxury items like mobile phones and watches and could procure them for his clients at reasonable rates. Mrinank also had several backup plans, if his initial plans failed.

Tattoo

Mrinank Singh has got a tattoo inked on his left arm.

Mrinank Singh’s tattoo

Favourites

• Beverage: Coffee

• Food: Pizza

• Clothing Brand: Amiri

Facts/Trivia

• He loves travelling and listening to the music in his leisure time. Mrinank desired to live a luxury lifestyle, dining in expensive restaurants and staying in five-star hotels, from a very young age.
  

  Mrinank Singh during one of his vacations

• He has won several trophies in cricket tournaments.
  

  Mrinank Singh receiving a trophy

• His jersey number was 07.
  

  Mrinank Singh’s jersey number

• He is often spotted consuming alcohol on various occasions.
  

  Mrinank Singh in a hotel room

• Mrinank has endorsed Daniel Wellington watches on his Instagram account.
  

  Mrinank Singh endorsing Daniel Wellington watches

• A fitness enthusiast, Mrinank follows a strict workout regimen.
  

  Mrinank Singh during his workout session

• He follows a non-vegetarian diet.
  

  Mrinank Singh’s Instagram Highlight

• As of 2023, he resides in Sector 17 of Faridabad.

• On several occasions, he has claimed to be closely connected with several Indian cricketers.

• His batting style was Left-hand Bat, and his bowling style was Legbreak.

• Mrinank enjoys a great fan following on Instagram and has around 40,000 followers (as of 2023). He keeps sharing his luxury lifestyle pictures on his Instagram account.

 

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Aakanksha

Meticulous proofreader with a keen eye for grammar, punctuation, and clarity. Committed to polishing content to perfection and maintaining a professional tone throughout.

Manoranjan D is an Indian individual who was involved in the Parliament security breach incident held on 13 December 2023.

Wiki/Biography

Manoranjan D was born in the year 1989 (age 35 years; as of 2024) in the town Arkalgud, district Hassan, Karnataka. He completed his schooling at Marimallappa’s High School in Mysore and completed his pre-university education at St. Joseph’s College of Education, Tamil Nadu. Manoranjan D pursued his bachelor’s degree in engineering in computer science from the Bangalore Institute of Technology ^[1]The Economic Times.

Physical Appearance

Hair Colour: Black

Eye Colour: Dark Brown

Family

Parents & Siblings

Manoranjan D’s father’s name is Devaraj Gowda, and his mother’s name is Shylaja Devraj. Both his parents are farmers.

Manoranjan’s father, Devraj Gowda

Wife 

Manoranjan D is unmarried.

Career

After pursuing his formal education, Manoranjan worked at an IT firm for a little while and then joined his father in farming. ^[2]The Indian Express

Controversy

On 13 December 2023, Manoranjan D along with Sagar Sharma interrupted the proceedings of Lok Sabha by jumping from the visitor gallery to the Lok Sabha chamber during the Zero hour and creating a smokescreen by releasing yellow smoke from the canisters that they carried in their shoes. They shouted slogans against dictatorship and false patriotism while demanding the protection of the Constitution. Manoranjan D had attempted to approach the front row. The security breach incident took place on the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament attack. Manoranjan D and Sagar Sharma along with two other accused were charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) that include UAPA sections 16 (punishment for terrorist act) and 18 (punishment for conspiracy, etc.) and IPC sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 452 (trespass), 153 (wantonly giving provocation, with intent to cause riot), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty). ^[3]NDTV

Facts/Trivia

• Before the incident took place, Manorajan D used to read a lot of books by Swami Vivekananda. He even refused to get married and preferred to bury himself in books.  He was a student leader during his college days.

• Manoranjan D got to know all the other accused individuals involved in the security breach incident through an Instagram page titled ‘Bhagat Singh Fan Club.’

• It was revealed by the police that Manoranjan got the visitors’ pass from the office of Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha on the pretext of visiting the new Parliament building.

• His father claimed that the former PM HD Deve Gowda had helped his son secure an engineering seat in Bengaluru.

Kanica

Jolly Joseph is an Indian suspected criminal, who is alleged to be the main accused in the murder of six of her family members in Koodathayi, Kozhikode district in Kerala in around 14 years.

Wiki/Biography

Jolly Joseph aka Joliyamma ^[1]CNN was born in 1972 (age 51 years; as of 2023) in Vazhavara, Idukki, Kerala. She did her schooling at St. Mary’s High School, Vazhavara. From 1998 to 1991, she pursued her graduation at M.E.S. College, Nedumkandam, Kerala. ^[2]Gulf News Reportedly, she told her in-laws that she did BTech and was a visiting professor at the National Institute of Technology (NIT). Whereas, her neighbours said that she told them that she did MCom. ^[3]Gulf News

Jolly Joseph in her college

Physical Appearance

Height (approx.): 5′ 5″

Hair Colour: Black

Eye Colour: Dark Brown

Family

She belongs to a middle-class Roman Catholic family. ^[4]Gulf News

Parents & Siblings

Her father, K Joseph, is a farmer and owns a ration shop. Her mother is suffering from mental illness. She has two elder brothers and two elder sisters and one younger brother named Nobi Thomas. One of her elder sisters is deaf and mute.

Jolly Joseph’s father

Husband & Children

In 1997, Jolly had a love marriage with Roy Thomas. Jolly has two sons named Romo Thomas and Ronald Thomas with Roy Thomas.

Jolly Joseph with Roy Thomas and their children

A picture of Jolly Joseph’s son Romo

In 2016, after her husband’s demise, she got married to Roy Thomas’s first cousin Shaju Zacharia, who was a school teacher.

Jolly Joseph with her second husband Shaju

Address

Ponnamattam Veedu, Koodathai Bazar, Koodathai Village, Thamarassery, Kozhikode, Kerala

Koodathayi Cyanide Murders

Death of Family Members

After her marriage to Roy, she moved to Roy Thomas’s ancestral home in Koodathayi where her father-in-law Tom Thomas, mother-in-law Annamma Thomas and a few other members used to live.

Jolly Joseph’s house

In 2002, her mother-in-law passed away due to some health issues. In 2008, her father-in-law also died from a heart attack and at the time of his death foam was coming out of his mouth. Within three years, her husband Roy passed away. A few moments before his death, just his father a foam was coming out of his mouth. After Roy’s demise, his maternal uncle Mathew Manjadiyil insisted on a post-mortem as he suspected that something was wrong. In the post-mortem report, it was found out that Roy had consumed cyanide, a chemical commonly used in mining and jewellery-making. The local police ruled it as a suicide case and did not investigate the case. After Roy’s demise, Jolly started to maintain a distance from her relatives and neighbours. However, her neighbours assumed that she was in a bad phase of her life, so they did not pay much deed to it. The series of death in her house continued, and in 2014, her husband Roy’s uncle Mathew Manjadiyil died of a heart attack followed by the death of Alphine, the two-year-old daughter of Roy Thomas’s paternal cousin Shaju Sakhariyas in the same year. In 2016, Shaju Sakhariyas’ wife Sili Sakhariyas also passed away.

Jolly Joseph’s family members

After a series of demise in the same house, Jolly’s relatives and neighbours started believing that the house was cursed or possessed with some negative energies. The case took a different turn in 2017 when Jolly got married to Shaju Sakhariya, a paternal cousin of her husband Roy.

Investigation and Arrests

After the demise of Jolly’s first husband Roy, the property was transferred to Jolly instead of Roy’s real brother Rojo Thomas. Rojo then started collecting information about Jolly’s past. Initially, Rojo found out that Jolly was lying about her job at NIT. Rojo even asked for a copy of the post-mortem of Roy Thomas. He found out that Jolly had said that she cooked an omelette for Roy but according to the post-mortem report Roy had rice and chickpea curry in the dinner before he died. Later, Rojo, along with her sister, filed a complaint at the district police station which was forwarded to Thamarassery Police Station near Kozhikode. However, their complaint was rejected as it was registered as a suicide case. Rojo then moved to the crime unit of the Kozhikode police who agreed to investigate the matter. Initially, the police confirmed that she was not working at NIT and around 50 discrepancies between her statements to the police and evidence were found. As no post-mortem was done of dead family members excluding Roy, the local crime unit of Kozhikode police decided to take out the buried bodies of Jolly’s family members for further investigation. After around two months of investigation, Kozhikode district police superintendent KG Simon conducted a press conference and shared that Joseph was arrested as she confessed to her crime that she had murdered all six family members with cyanide.

Jolly Joseph on being arrested

The local police said that she had murdered them for Roy’s property and other assets. According to the local crime unit of Kozhikode police, in October 2019, Jolly confessed that she used cyanide to kill six of her family members with the help of M. S. Mathew (jewellery shop employee) and Praji Kumar (goldsmith). According to the police, M. S. Mathew, an employee at a jewellery shop and a relative of Jolly, helped Jolly by providing cyanide from the goldsmith Praji Kumar. Reportedly, Mathew said that he gave Rs 5000 and two bottles of alcohol to Praji in exchange for cyanide. In defence, Mathew said that Jolly had asked him to provide her cyanide to kill rats at her home.

Modus Operandi

According to the local crime unit of Kozhikode police, Jolly poisoned her in-laws to get control over the finances of the family by giving them cyanide in their food. After her in-law’s demise, her relationship with her husband Roy was worsened, so she poisoned him too with cyanide. She then killed her husband’s uncle Manjadiyil by mixing cyanide in his alcohol; as he was inspecting the murders closely. To marry Shaju, she killed his wife and daughter by mixing cyanide in their food. However, no strong evidence was found against her. Her second husband Shaju was also under suspicion, but no evidence was found against him.

Aftermath

In 2023, Jolly’s advocate BA Aloor pleaded in the Kerala High Court to discharge her as she was imprisoned without any solid evidence. However, the court rejected the plea and said that the materials on record were sufficient to take the prima facie view that her involvement in the murder could be suspected. ^[5]The Times of India

In Popular Culture

In 2019, Jolly’s cyanide murder story was depicted in episodes 100, 101, and 102 of the popular Hindi TV series ‘Crime Patrol Satark,’ which aired on Sony TV.

A still from Crime Patrol’s episode

In the same year, a Malayalam TV serial titled ‘Koodathayi’ based on Jolly’s case was aired on Flowers TV.

Koodathayi

On 7 September 2020, an English podcast ‘Death, Lies & Cyanide’ was launched on Spotify which was narrated by the Indian journalist Sashi Kumar. The podcast has ten episodes.

Death, Lies & Cyanide

On 22 December 2023, a Netflix documentary series ‘Curry & Cyanide: The Jolly Joseph Case’ was released on Netflix. The documentary is available in six languages.

Curry & Cyanide- The Jolly Joseph Case

Facts/Trivia

• Her neighbours once shared that Jolly used to be a very talkative and well-mannered child.

• She used to regularly visit her nearby churches and attend the Sunday prayers.

• According to Kozhikode police, she has confessed that she hated girls and had two abortions as she was expecting a girl child. ^[6]Gulf News

• While talking to a reporter, one of her neighbours shared that Jolly had a habit of stealing. She once stole money from her home and later, when she was in college, she stole a gold bangle from her classmate. When Jolly’s father came to know about it, she was beaten so badly by her father that even her arm was broken. ^[7]Gulf News

• In 2020, Jolly allegedly tried to commit suicide in jail, where she was imprisoned. She was then immediately rushed to the Medical College in Kozhikode. ^[8]The Indian Express

Sheena Bhardwaj

Senior Content Writer with 6+ years of experience in website content writing. Specialises in creating engaging, user-focused content that helps brands communicate effectively and grow their online presence.

Nimisha Priya is an Indian nurse who made headlines in 2013 when was sentenced to death for murdering Talal Abdo Mahdi, a Yemeni national, by injecting him with a sedative and chopping the body into more than 10 pieces.

Wiki/Biography

Nimisha Priya was born on Sunday, 1 January 1989 (age 34 years; as of 2023) in Thekkinchira, Kollengode, Palakkad, Kerala, India. Her zodiac sign is Capricorn. After completing her formal education and practising as a nurse in India for a few months, she moved to Yemen.

Physical Appearance

Hair Colour: Black

Eye Colour: Black

Family

She belongs to a middle-class family.

Parents & Siblings

Her mother’s name is Premakumari who works as a household help in Ernakulam, Kerala. She is the only child of her parents.

Nimisha Priya’s mother, Premakumari

Husband & Children

Her husband’s name is Tomy Thomas, an autorickshaw driver, who lives with their 9-year-old daughter, Michelle Tomy Thomas, in Idukki, Kerala. Tomy used to work in Qatar as a driver, and after their marriage, he moved to Yemen and started working at a petrol pump.

Nimisha Priya with her husband, Tommy Thomas, on their wedding day

Religion

She follows Christianity.

Nationality

She is an Indian citizen.

Ethnicity

She has Malayali roots.

Signature

Nimisha Priya’s signature

Initial Years in Yemen

As per one source, Nimisha moved to Yemen from Kerala in 2011, and as per another source, Nimisha shifted from Kerala to Yemen in 2012. After her marriage to Tomy Thomas, Nimisha continued working as a nurse in Yemen while Thomas moved to Yemen from Qatar and started working as an unskilled labourer at a petrol pump. After the birth of their daughter, Thomas quit his job to look after the daughter while Nimisha continued her job. In April 2014, as they were struggling to make ends meet, Thomas moved to Kerala, India with their daughter while Nimisha stayed in Yemen.

Nimisha Priya’s husband, Tomy Thomas, with their daughter, Michelle Tomy Thomas

Opening own clinic

In 2015, they decided to open a small clinic; however, they needed the reference of a Yemeni citizen to process the licence for the clinic. Nimisha suggested the name of Talal Abdo Mahdi who ran a clothing shop. Tomy Thomas said that he once met Mahdi when he was living in Yemen and Mahdi looked like a good person to him. Reportedly, Nimisha first met Mahdi when he came to her previous clinic for the checkup of his pregnant wife. When Nimisha discussed her idea with Abdul Lateer, the owner of the clinic where she was working, he got upset with her; however, he later agreed to invest 33% in Nimisha’s clinic following which Nimisha told Mahdi that she did need any of his help. Mahdi later helped her with building materials for her clinic and a small amount of money as well. In January 2015, when Nimisha came to Kerala for one month, Mahdi also came to Kerala with her where he visited Thomas’ home in Thodupuzha and many other tourist places. A civil war broke out in 2015 in Yemen due to which Tomy Thomas and their daughter could not return to Yemen.

Talal Abdo Mahdi, the alleged harasser of Nimisha Priya whom she later killed

Harassment by Talal Abdo Mahdi

When Talal Abdo Mahdi got to know that Nimisha Priya was alone in Yemen and her husband could not return, he started harassing her. He barged into her clinic multiple times and forcibly took money from the clinic’s earnings by lying to the staff that Nimisha was his wife. Allegedly, during his visit to India, Mahdi took a photo of her wedding which he morphed into a fake wedding picture of him and Nimisha which he showed to his family and told many of his known people including the clinic staff that he married Nimisha in India.

Nimisha Priya’s clinic in Yemen in 2016

While Nimisha was unaware of this, when one of the clinic staff told her about it, she was shocked and approached Mahdi’s father who did not pay attention to her complaints. In 2016, she filed a complaint at a police station in Sana’a but instead of resolving the issue, she was jailed for 16 days as per Yemeni laws. She got out of jail only when Mahdi produced a fake marriage certificate in court. Nimisha claimed that Mahdi continued harassing her in different ways and even confiscated her passport and said,

He confiscated my passport, he forced me to live with him. He would come to my house inebriated and attack me physically, threaten me to obey him, inflict injuries on me. He used to even bring his friends to my house at night, force me to do sexual favours for them. I used to run out each time to protect myself. Those were sleepless nights for me, I had no one to help or support me. I was all alone. Yemen is not a place where one would see women out at night. But I would run through the road out of my house, escaping from the assaults.”

Tomy Thomas said in an interview that while Nimisha was fluent in Arabic, she could not read the language. When the documents were being made, Mahdi allegedly got 67% shares of the clinic written in his name, with 33% of the shares in the name of Abdul Lateer. Mahdi also got other types of equipment and vehicles of the clinic registered under his name. Thomas alleged that Nimisha had used around 22 sim cards to contact him as whenever Mahdi confiscated a sim card, she managed to obtain another sim card. Mahdi also had many other police cases filed against him related to land fraud, vehicle fraud, and money fraud.

A photo of Talal Abdo Mahdi who was murdered by Nimisha Priya

Death of Talal Abdo Mahdi

Nimisha claimed in an interview that Mahdi was frequently jailed at a nearby jail whose warden knew Nimisha. The jail warden suggested Nimisha that she could sedate Mahdi in order to obtain her passport from him so that she could return to India. When Nimisha got a chance, she injected Mahdi with a sedative; however, it did not have any effect on him as he was an alleged drug addict.

A photo of Nimisha Priya’s passport

On 25 July 2017, when Mahdi was taking drugs at her home, she injected him with Ketamine. Mahdi fell on the ground after a few minutes and screamed before passing away at the age of 24 years. Nimisha hurriedly called Hanan, a fellow Yemeni nurse who lived below her house in Al Deydh and explained the situation to her. Hanan knew about the harassment that Nimisha was suffering at the hands of Mahdi, and they decided to cut his body into pieces and dispose of them in a nearby water tank. Nimisha allegedly suffered an anxiety attack after seeing this and took tablets while Hanan cut Mahdi’s body into pieces. After a few days, some people complained of a foul smell coming out of the water tank following which police discovered Mahdi’s body pieces and arrested Nimisha and Hanan in August 2017. ^[1]The New Indian Express

A few photos of Nimisha Priya (with her husband Tomy Thomas in the middle)

Death Penalty & Rescue Efforts

After her arrest, Nimisha was given the death penalty by a local court in August 2020 while Hanan was sentenced to life imprisonment. On 7 March 2022, her death sentence was upheld by an appeal court; however, the court offered a lifeline by saying that the death sentence could be avoided if Mahdi’s family pardoned her as under Islamic law, the death penalty can be waived if the victim’s family pardons the convict, and this can involve payment of blood money (compensation paid to the victim’s family). Nimisha wrote a letter in Malayalam which read,

I did not commit murder. For making our lives better, with my husband’s permission, I took a certain path. But I fell into the trap of certain people I trusted and ended up in a tragic situation.”

A letter written by Nimisha Priya in Malayalam

In 2020, a forum named Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council was established to help her. A Delhi-based lawyer, Subhash Chandran K.R. filed a case in the Delhi High Court to help Nimisha following which a seven-member delegation was formed to meet Mahdi’s family to negotiate the payment of blood money. The delegation included Premakumari and Priya’s daughter, Michelle Tomy Thomas, Subhash Chandran K.R. and Deepa Joseph, another Delhi-based lawyer who is the vice president of the action council, Babu John, the convenor of the council, Rafeek Ravuther of the Centre for Indian Migrant Studies, and Nizar Kochery, an Indian lawyer based in Doha; however, they could not travel to Yemen to visa issues. Yemen-based activist Samuel Jerome, the first person Priya reached out to for help when she was arrested in 2017, said that Mahdi’s family did not show any signs of animosity when he met them in court during the hearings. It was reported in April 2022 that Mahdi’s family agreed on a compensation (blood money) of 50 million Yemeni rials (approx. Rs 1.5 crores). ^[2]The New Indian Express

Fundraiser campaign for Nimisha Priya

On 13 November 2023, the Supreme Court of Yemen rejected Nimisha’s appeal against the death sentence following which many people claimed that Nimisha was not given adequate legal aid during her case. Reportedly, after the rejection of her mercy appeal, the decision to pardon Nimisha lies with the President of Yemen. On 17 November 2023, Communist Party of India (CPI) Rajya Sabha MP Binoy Viswam wrote a letter to the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take notice of the case and help Nimisha Priya. ^[3]Asian News International

Nimisha Priya’s daughter, Michelle Tomy Thomas, mother, Premakumari, and husband, Tomy Thomas (left to right) during an appeal for mercy to her

Amit