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{{Short description|Indian dacoit}}
'''Mohar Singh''' (1926 or 1927 – May 5, 2020) was a former [[Dacoity|dacoit]] bandit turned political leader.<ref name=hindu>{{cite news |last1=Vincent |first1=Pheroze L. |title=Dacoits come out in support of BJP in M.P. |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/dacoits-come-out-in-support-of-bjp-in-mp/article5916708.ece |publisher=[[The Hindu]] |date=April 16, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Banerjee |first1=Poulomi |title=Why Chambal's dacoits didn't ride into the sunset |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/we-wouldn-t-come-charging-on-horses-like-they-show-in-bollywood-films-former-chambal-dacoits-remember-time-spent-as-bandits/story-1V8dXgX7BR50weQbN1VorJ.html |publisher=[[Hindustan Times]] |date=December 7, 2017}}</ref> He was one of the most dreaded dacoits of the [[Chambal (region)|Chambal]] valley in the 1960s. Singh had 600 cases against him, of which 400 were murder cases.<ref name=indiatoday>{{cite news |last1=Noronha |first1=Rahul |title=Yesteryears Chambal dacoit with more than 300 cases, Mohar Singh dies in MP's Mehgaon |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/yesteryears-chambal-dacoit-with-more-than-300-cases-mohar-singh-dies-in-mp-s-mehgaon-1675191-2020-05-07 |publisher=[[India Today]] |date=May 7, 2020}}</ref>

== Criminal career and life ==
He had become a dacoit after murdering a man over a property dispute in the year 1955. Mohar Singh carried a reward of 12 Lakh rupees now about 1.5crores on his head in the late 1960s and '70s. He surrendered in front of [[Jayaprakash Narayan]] in 1972 along with his gang of over 150 dacoits.<ref name="theguardian.com"/>

At the time of his surrender, as part of the negotiation, he was promised that he would not be given a death sentence and was kept in an open prison. He was given agricultural land by the government as a means of livelihood.<ref name=indiatoday/>

== Politics ==
After serving eight years in prison Mohar Singh was released in 1980 and entered into local politics. He was elected unopposed in a local body election in 1995. He was elected to Mehgaon municipality<ref>{{cite news |title=The curse of Chambal |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/7-days/the-curse-of-chambal/cid/1536013 |publisher=[[Telegraph India]] |date=7 April 2013}}</ref> and served as a councilor for two terms in the 1990s. He was associated with [[Indian National Congress]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Singh Chauhan |first1=Sanjeev Kumar |title=मोहर सिंह गुर्जर: सबसे महंगा डाकू, जिसने जेल में खाया मुर्गा-मटन और खुलेआम खेले ताश |url=https://hindi.oneindia.com/news/india/madhya-pradesh-assembly-elections-2018-2-dacoits-campaigning-for-election-in-bhind-district/articlecontent-pf163204-481798.html |publisher=[[One India]] |date=April 22, 2018 |language=hi}}</ref> he later supported [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] in [[Madhya Pradesh]].<ref name=hindu/>

In September 2019, Singh had written a letter to the prime minister [[Narendra Modi]] for the restoration of the Bateswara temple, a historic structure, which was constructed by the Gurjara-Pratiharas.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sharma |first1=Jeevan Prakash |title=Gabbar Roars Again! Save Chambal's Angkor Wat, Pleads Former Dacoit's Family |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/india-news-gabbar-roars-again-save-chambals-angkor-wat-pleads-former-dacoits-family/302142 |publisher=[[Outlook India]] |date=30 September 2019}}</ref><ref name=outlookindia>{{cite news |title=Why Legacy Of Chambal Ke Daku Mohar Singh Will Live Forever |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/why-legacy-of-chambal-ke-daku-mohar-singh-will-live-forever/303212 |publisher=[[Outlook India]] |date=25 May 2020}}</ref>

== Death ==
He died on 5th May 2020 at the age of 92. He was survived by his two sons and a daughter.<ref name="theguardian.com">{{cite news |title=Notorious Indian bandit dies at 92 after stints in Bollywood and politics |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/06/ex-bandit-and-actor-mohar-singh-dies-at-92 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=6 May 2020}}</ref>

== In popular culture ==
Mohar Singh starred in a 1982 Hindi film named, ''[[Chambal Ke Daku]]'',<ref name=outlookindia/> which marketed with the tagline: 'first time real dacoits on-screen'.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ghos |first1=Avijit |title=Actor Javed Khan recalls shooting 'Chambal Ke Daaku' with outlaw Mohar Singh |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/actor-javed-khan-recalls-shooting-chambal-ke-daaku-with-outlaw-mohar-singh/articleshow/75579068.cms |publisher=[[Times of India]] |date=6 May 2020}}</ref><ref name="theguardian.com"/>

In May 2006, it was reported that a film named ''Pakad'' was being made, featuring three dacoits Malkhan Singh, [[Man Singh (dacoit)|Man Singh]] and Mohar Singh and the story was reported to be written by M. C. Dwivedi, former chief of police of Uttar Pradesh.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dacoit Charm |url=https://littleindia.com/dacoit-charm/ |publisher=Little India |date=May 12, 2006}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Chambal Ke Daku]]
== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|nm11700714}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Mohar}}
[[Category:Indian robbers]]
[[Category:Indian people convicted of murder]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian murderers]]
[[Category:Indian male film actors]]
[[Category:1920s births]]

[[Category:Year of birth uncertain]]

[[Category:2020 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Madhya Pradesh]]

Mohar Singh (dacoit) - Revision history

MonroeDunning09: Added new bio