India’s Criminal Escape Artists
By Poonam I Kaushish
Taint is the flavour this political season. Wherein, hundreds of our criminal-politicos flaunt their “bullet-proof jackets” in the ongoing electoral circus in Bihar. This chilling reality hit bull’s eye with the arrest of Mokam’s bahubali five-time MLA JD(U)s Anant Singh nee ‘Chhote Sarkar’ for murder of ex-RJD strongman Dular Chand Yadav. Heart wrenchingly encapsulated by a poor voter: “Try and understand. We are poor people. This is a fight among bahubalis. We will just go and cast our vote.”
Alas, known for complex caste arithmetic, Bihar has for decades voted for several bahubalis who possess dhanbal, janbal and buddhibal in addition to spectacular strongman violent acts who with assertion of power beyond law get peoples’ support and win polls with ease generating a muscular, masculine idiom of leadership over the State and impunity from law.
From Lalu’s RJD don Shahabuddin in the nineties who was MP for three terms, down Rajput Anand Mohan Singh to over 20 bahubalis in 2000: Munna Shukla, Rajan Tiwari, Dadan Pehalwan, Suraj Bhan Singh, etc. While some strongmen contest, others demonstrate their political influence by fielding wives or relatives.
Both in Bihar and UP those who rose from the crime world to corridors of power were even made Ministers by Governments despite serious allegations. From Atiq Ahmed, his brother Ashraf, Raju Pal, Ansari brothers to Kunda’s Raja Bhaiya who burned houses and MLA Vijay Mishra who spent more time in jail than in his constituency who won elections regardless of his Party affiliation.
Think. Mafia dons have been elected from prisons, some continue to hold durbars in jail, with all home comforts, instruct chamchas by cellphone and rule their empire, issuing diktats that few dare disobey. Not a few take anticipatory bail to avoid arrest, others simply abscond only to “surrender” when ready.
The rise of “money and muscle” enabled bāhubalis to secure legitimacy by aligning with Parties, invoking cross-cutting identities such as gareeb and,mazloom by helping people in their day-to-day needs and disputes, activating caste networks in the State Administration thereby demonstrating their social popularity. Making clear any action against them would be costly.
In this free-for-all khichri what is disturbing and distressing is all Parties are openly recognizing and nominating criminals as candidates. Wherein the rogues’ gallery of bandits, racketeers and murderers have filled halls of power and fame.
Why? With power translating into a number game, Parties field mafia dons as they convert muscle power into votes, often at gun point, to emerge victorious. This arrangement works on quid-pro-quo: Parties get unlimited funds to fight elections and criminals protection from law and respectability in society.
Why do mafia dons invest large sums in getting a neta’s tag? It’s a ticket to continue extortions using political power, gain influence and ensure cases against them are dropped. Thanks to legal delays, often abetted by political pressures, make convictions of resourceful crooks rather rare. Besides, returns on political investments are so high and profitable that criminals are disinclined to invest in anything else. Adding salt to wounds people have to suffer the discomfiture of criminal MP/MLAs legislating on their behalf. Sic.
Thus, our system has unwittingly created huge incentives for criminals to enter politics. Immortalised by renowned Mumbai mafia don-turned MLA Arun Gawli: “Ab kis ka dam hai ki mujhe encounter me maare. Now no politician can give supari to any police officer or gangster to kill me. Ab mere paas bullet proof jacket hai — and MLA tag”.
Shockingly, a whopping 2,556 MLAs in 22 States stand accused of heinous crimes. One Congress MLA has 204 cases including culpable homicide, robbery/ criminal intimidation. Over 5,000 criminal cases against MLAs are pending despite Courts directions to facilitate speedy disposal.
Undoubtedly, India’s downslide has been rapid. Distressingly, it doesn’t strike any cord anywhere. Parties are openly recognizing and nominating criminals as candidates. Why? Because there is no rule of law and the State has lost its Iqbal to govern and arrest those who break the law.
Resulting in our jan sevaks dancing to their underworld benefactors tunes at people’s cost. Thus, in apradhi-banne-netas democracy is boxed in three —- mafia box, cartridge box and ballot box! It is this mutual benefit and camaraderie between criminal-Party nexus which is the cause célèbre for our netagan.
One could dismiss politicization of crime as an evolving phase of our democratic process. But with our democratic system being usurped by petty thugs, dus numeriyas, criminals and mafia dons the only thing that matters is on whose side the criminal is: His or ours? All are same. Only degrees differ.
Whereby criminal-politicos get away like escape artists. Hence, the number of mafiaso-netas are rapidly multiplying in legislatures ushering in a new ‘don’ (dawn) wherein yesterday’s dons are today’s Right Honourables: a law unto themselves and all-powerful. With an MP-MLA tag, a bullet-proof jacket from police, encounters and rivals.
Scandalously, criminal are crowding out honest candidates at national and State level. According to a recent report 45.5% ‘criminal’ candidates win against 24.7% with clean backgrounds. So in this self perpetuating system the growing Indian middle class is not averse to electing criminals if they become their patrons, flex muscle, terrorise constituents, keep them in check, provide protection, ration-Government jobs and deliver goods.
Thanks to a weak police and legal system which ensures that mafia-turned netagan get away with murder. They are the law and rule by law: use force with impunity, collect protection money, settle disputes unlike the State bogged down in legal wrangles and use loads of money to muscle out honest candidates. A milieu of jo jeeta woh sikander, a vicious circle of you scratch-my-back, I scratch-yours!
Besides, when it comes to criminal cases, the lines are blurred. What to speak of the marathon legal process. Our law only bars persons from running for office once they are indicted by a court, which often happens years, even decades, after an arrest. It’s even harder to dislodge someone actually holding office. What is the yardstick that can be applied to them?
Recently, a rueful Court accentuated that crime continues regardless of it ordering Parties to not field candidates with criminal antecedents in Assembly polls. “We have been telling legislature to take action against candidates against whom charges have been framed but nothing has been done. Nothing is done and nothing will ever be done by any Party to prevent criminals from entering politics and standing for elections. Unfortunately, we can’t legislate.”
In a milieu wherein our Parliamentary system has now been hijacked by the criminalisation of politics, the aam aadmi is naturally cynical. No one wants to vote for a criminal. And yet for years criminals have been using the electoral system to enter politics, with the janata hopelessly looking on.
Clearly, no longer will technical or legalistic response suffice. The answer lies in Parties raising the bar and ridding itself of this rot gorging on our body political. Remember, a democracy is only as good as the refinement of its people’s democratic sensibility. Instead of rooting for criminals our polity must compete to enhance sensibility.
How many murder charges are required before one is considered unfit to represent people? Are there no honest and capable netas? When will we stop hanging petty thieves and electing criminals to public office? —- INFA
(Copyright, India News & Feature Alliance)
New Delhi,
3 November 2025
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