Notorious dacoit Jagan Gurjar killed by cellmate in high-security jail in Rajasthan

Jaipur: Notorious dacoit Jagan Gurjar, lodged in a high-security jail in Rajasthan's Ajmer, was killed allegedly by another prison inmate following a scuffle, police said.

Gurjar was allegedly strangled with a towel by an inmate with whom he shared his cell. The murder happened between 11 am and 3 pm, they said.

"Preliminary investigation suggested a one-to-one scuffle over a petty issue inside the jail, which led to the murder of Jagan Gurjar. The accused, Vishnu, had been living with Gurjar in the same cell," Ajmer SP Harshvardhan Agarwalla told PTI.


"They were locked in at 11 am and when a guard went to the cell at 3 pm, he found him dead. The body had no visible sign of injury," a jail official said.

He said that Vishnu has been in the high-security jail for the last three years, while Jagan Gurjar was transferred to the jail in March this year.

During questioning, Vishnu claimed to have strangled Jagan Gurjar with a towel, SP Agarwalla said, adding that the matter would be investigated further.

A forensic team has also reached the jail premises to collect evidence. The body was shifted to the mortuary for a post-mortem.

Gurjar was from Dholpur district, having nearly 100 police cases against him in various police stations.

He came into the limelight in 2008 when he allegedly threatened to blow up the residence of the then chief minister Vasundhara Raje in Dholpur. He later surrendered in 2009 in front of Congress leader Sachin Pilot.

In June 2019, Gurjar was arrested for allegedly beating up two women and tearing their clothes. Nearly 500 policemen were engaged in the operation to nab Gurjar.

He was again arrested in another case in February 2022 when he allegedly threatened to kill Girraj Malinga, a Congress MLA at the time.

Jagan Gurjar entered the world of crime in 1994 and was booked in several cases, but he was arrested for the first time in 2001. He was arrested several times subsequently and was released on bail many times.

Gurjar had been active in the ravines of Chambal ghati in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, infamous for its bandits and dacoits.

According to police, he has three wives, one of whom was involved with him in his criminal activities. She was injured in a police encounter in Madhya Pradesh several years back.