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Gangs of Jaunpur: Munna Bajrangi’s life and killing give a glimpse into UP crime and politics

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8 years ago

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Gangs of Jaunpur: Munna Bajrangi’s life and killing give a glimpse into UP crime and politics

Dreaded Uttar Pradesh gangster Prem Prakash Singh alias Munna Bajrangi was shot dead in Baghpat jail on Monday, hours before he was to be produced in a district court this morning.

Just a week earlier, his wife had alleged a threat to his life.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said: “I have ordered a judicial inquiry and suspension of the jailor. Such an incident occurring inside jail premises is a serious matter. Will conduct an in-depth investigation and strict action to be taken against those responsible.”

The jailor and his deputy and two others have been suspended.

Arrested in Mumbai in October 2009, Munna was wanted in several cases of murder, loot, extortion and other crimes, most notably for the murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai in 2005. Rai was ambushed while he and his associates were travelling on Lucknow highway in two vehicles. Munna and his men sprayed the vehicles with AK47 and Rai was shot more than 100 times. Six others with him were killed in the attack

Bajrangi was accused in more than 40 murder and extortion cases and once carried a reward of 7 lakh on his head.

The gangster was also wanted in the murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai in 2005. In 2012, he had also contested Assembly Elections from inside the jail as a joint candidate of Apna Dal and Peace Party from Madiyahu seat, reported NDTV. Though, he did not win the elections but stood at third place and secured 12% votes.

Rai’s wife Alka Rai, a BJP MLA from Mohammadabad expressed relief and happiness at the news of Munna’s killing, saying she was living in constant fear for her children due to him. Some days ago, she, said, her children were accused of being involved in killing Munna Bajrangi’s wife’s brother.

In various jails since his arrest, the gangster had been transferred to the prison in Baghpat from Jhansi on Sunday for being produced in the district court in a case for demanding extortion money from BJP MLA Lokesh Dixit, said media reports.

According to Additional Director General (ADG), Prison, Chandra Prakash, gangster Sunil Rathi, lodged in the same prison, opened fire on Bajrangi in the early hours of Monday. Sources say around 6.30 am in the Baghpat prison, when the inmates were having tea, another prisoner Sunil Rathi, fired at Bajrangi, killing him instantly, said media reports. While Rathi has been detained, jailer, deputy jailer, warden and head warden have been suspended.

“However, the larger question, which police will investigate, is how did an inmate managed to get a firearm inside the jail,” he added.Munna Bajrangi.

Bajrangi’s wife Seema Singh had said on June 29, “STF wants my husband to be killed inside the jail. The Special Task Force inspector had visited Jhansi jail recently to hatch a conspiracy to kill my husband. They are constantly inquiring about my husband’s health. I have informed the court about it and I also request chief minister Yogi Adityanath to intervene in the matter.”

A report by ANI quoted ADG Prison as saying: “There was altercation b/w Sunil Rathi&him after which he shot him dead. He has been detained&is being interrogated. Jailor,Dy Jailor,Warden&Head Warden have been suspended.Have requested judicial&magisterial inquiry”

SP Baghpat told ANI UP: “Sunil Rathi has been accused of killing Gangster Munna Bajrangi; Body sent for postmortem, fair investigation will be done.”

V Srivastava,advocate of gangster Munna Bajrangi, told ANI UP: “He was brought to District Jail Baghpat from Jhansi,last night. At 6;30am today,a convict lodged in the jail shot him dead&hid the pistol in a gutter. Few days ago,we had made UP CM aware of threat to gangster Munna Bajrangi’s life”

Bajrangi, accused in as many as 40 cases of murder and extortion, had once survived an encounter with the police in 1998 after he was shot nine times. 

Life and crimes of Munna Bajrangi – and the political linkages

Born in 1967 to a family in Jaunpur, Munna Bajrangi alias Prem Prakash Singh was a school dropout – he had quit studies after Class V and by adolescence had developed criminal tendencies. Fond of keeping weapons, he was booked for being involved in a fight and possessing illegal arms when he was just about 17 years old.

That was only the beginning of his career in crime. With ambitions of making a name in crime, he got patronage of local strongman Gajraj Singh. In 1984, still 17 years of age, he murdered a businessman during a robbery. After that he killed a BJP leader of Jaunpur. With this explosive start, he went on to commit several other murders.

Seeking to increase his clout and influence in eastern UP, Poorvanchal, he joined the gang of criminal-politician Mukhtar Ansari. The gang became even more powerful after Ansari got elected as an MLA from Mau on Samjawadi Party ticket. Munna now directly started controlling allocation of government contracts.

Around this time, BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai started emerging as a challenge. His gang was backed by Mukhtar Ansari’s arch rival Brijesh Singh. Irked by Rai’s rising influence, Mukhtar gave Munna the job of getting rid of him. On November 29, 2005, he ambushed Rai who was travelling with two vehicles on Lucknow highway. Over 400 rounds were sprayed on the vehicles with AK47. Krishnanand Rai and six others were killed in the attack, each hit by 60 to 100 bullets.

Munna now becae the most dreaded, most wanted gangster. UP Police, STF and CBI were after him and a reward of Rs.7 lakh announced for him. Hunted in UP and Delhi, Munna moved to Mumbai. He also managed to travel abroad and developed more contacts in the underworld. He started handling his gang members over phone from Mumbai.

Munna also tried his hand in politics and tried to get a BJP ticket for a woman from Ghazipur Lok Sabha seat. This was not liked by Mukhtar who stopped helping Munna’s men. After failing to make any headway with BJP, Munna went to a Congress leader who was from Jaunpur but practices politics in Mumbai. Munna Bajrangi had backed him in Maharashtra assembly polls.

Munna was wanted in several cases in many states, the largest number being in UP. Munna is said to have boasted of committing 40 murders in his crime career of 20 years. He was nabbed from Malad in Mumbai by Delhi Police in a dramatic operation on October 29, 2009. It is said that Munna got himself arrested out of fear of getting killed in encounter. Delhi Police was reported to have said that Munna was a suspect in the killing of the controversial encounter specialist Rajbir Singh.

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Amit Shah counters delimitation concerns, says southern states to gain Lok Sabha seats

Amit Shah assures Parliament that southern states will gain Lok Sabha seats after delimitation, countering opposition criticism during the women’s reservation debate.

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1 hour ago

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April 16, 2026

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Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday addressed concerns over the proposed delimitation exercise, asserting in the Lok Sabha that southern states will not lose representation but instead see an increase in their number of seats.

His remarks came during a heated debate linked to the implementation of women’s reservation, where opposition parties have raised fears that population-based delimitation could reduce the political weight of southern states.

Shah rejected these claims, calling them misleading, and said the proposed framework ensures fairness while expanding the overall strength of the Lok Sabha.

Seat count to rise with expansion of Lok Sabha

The government has indicated that the total number of Lok Sabha seats could increase significantly as part of the delimitation process. In this expanded House, the combined representation of southern states is expected to rise from 129 seats at present to around 195 seats.

Shah emphasised that no state will lose seats in absolute terms, and the exercise is designed to reflect population changes while maintaining balance across regions.

State-wise projections shared in Parliament

During his address, Shah also provided indicative figures for individual southern states, suggesting notable increases in representation. According to the projections:

  • Tamil Nadu could see its seats rise substantially
  • Kerala, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh are also expected to gain additional seats
  • Karnataka’s representation may increase as well

These figures were presented to counter the argument that delimitation would disproportionately favour northern states.

Political debate intensifies over linkage with women’s quota

The delimitation exercise has been closely linked to the rollout of women’s reservation, which proposes one-third seats for women in Parliament and state assemblies.

Opposition leaders have questioned this linkage, arguing that tying reservation to delimitation could delay its implementation and raise federal concerns. Some leaders have also warned that the move could impact national unity if apprehensions among states are not addressed.

The government, however, maintains that the reforms are necessary to ensure equitable representation and to align the electoral system with demographic realities.

Centre dismisses ‘false narrative’ on southern states

Shah reiterated that concerns about southern states losing influence are unfounded. He said the delimitation process will increase representation across regions and described the criticism as a “false narrative” aimed at creating confusion.

The issue is expected to remain a key flashpoint as Parliament continues discussions on the women’s reservation framework and related legislative changes.

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PM Modi assures no discrimination in women’s quota, delimitation debate intensifies in Parliament

PM Narendra Modi has assured that women’s reservation will be implemented without discrimination, amid a heated debate over delimitation in Parliament.

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8 hours ago

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April 16, 2026

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PM modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured that there will be no discrimination in the implementation of women’s reservation, as Parliament witnessed a sharp debate over the proposed linkage between the quota and delimitation exercise.

During the ongoing special session, the government reiterated its commitment to ensuring fair representation while addressing concerns raised by opposition parties regarding the timing and structure of the legislation.

The proposed framework aims to reserve 33 percent of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. However, its implementation is tied to a fresh delimitation exercise, which is expected after the next census.

Opposition questions timing and intent

Opposition leaders have raised concerns that linking the women’s quota to delimitation could delay its implementation. They argue that the process of redrawing constituencies may push the actual rollout further into the future.

The issue has triggered a broader political confrontation, with multiple parties questioning whether the move could alter representation across states.

Some critics have also alleged that the delimitation exercise could disproportionately benefit certain regions based on population, a charge the government has rejected.

Government reiterates commitment to fair implementation

Responding to these concerns, the Centre has maintained that the reforms are necessary to ensure accurate and updated representation based on population data.

Leaders from the ruling side have repeatedly emphasized that the process will be carried out transparently and without bias. The assurance that there will be “no discrimination” is aimed at addressing fears among states and opposition parties.

The debate marks a key moment in Parliament, with both sides engaging in intense exchanges over one of the most significant electoral reforms in recent years.

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Give all tickets to Muslim women, Amit Shah says, attacking Akhilesh Yadav on sub-quota demand

A sharp exchange between Amit Shah and Akhilesh Yadav in Parliament over sub-quota for Muslim women highlights key divisions on women’s reservation implementation.

Published

10 hours ago

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April 16, 2026

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A heated exchange broke out in Parliament during discussions on the women’s reservation framework, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav locking horns over the demand for a sub-quota for Muslim women.

The debate unfolded as the government pushed forward key legislative measures to implement 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

Akhilesh Yadav argued that the proposed reservation must ensure representation for women from marginalised communities, including Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Muslim women. He said that without such provisions, large sections could remain excluded from political participation.

He also questioned the timing of the bill, alleging that the Centre was avoiding a caste census. According to him, a census would lead to renewed demands for caste-based reservations, which the government is reluctant to address.

Government rejects religion-based quota

Responding to the demand, Amit Shah made it clear that reservation based on religion is not permitted under the Constitution.

He stated that any proposal to provide quota to Muslims on religious grounds would be unconstitutional, firmly rejecting the idea of a separate sub-quota for Muslim women within the broader reservation framework.

The government has maintained that the existing framework already includes provisions for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) women within the overall reservation structure.

Wider political divide over implementation

The issue of sub-categorisation within the women’s quota has emerged as a major flashpoint, even as most opposition parties broadly support the idea of women’s reservation.

Samajwadi Party leaders reiterated that their support for the bill depends on inclusion of OBC and minority women, while the government continues to defend its constitutional position.

The debate is part of a broader discussion during the special Parliament session, where multiple bills linked to delimitation and implementation of the women’s quota are being taken up.

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