A change of heart followed by a switch in lifestyle is what Ex-Dacoit Malkhan Singh and his wife, Lalita Rajput, did, which has resulted in a respectable life for the couple. Rajput, who is in her mid-30s, has been elected Sarpanch unopposed by the residents of the Sungayayi village in the Guna district of Madhya Pradesh.
Change For Development
The couple had decided to turn around for the better and give back to society. Rajput thanked the villagers for her win, said that the village had not seen development in the past 20 years, and emphasised that it needed to be changed.
She said there was no proper facility like good roads or clean water supply in the village. She added, "There is no light or road or sewerage in my village, so I want to work for the development of my village," as reported by NDTV.
Singh, who is quite passionate about development, is extremely happy for his wife and calls her unchallenged victory the people's voice (Janta ki awaaz). He said he expects a lot to happen with her holding the position concerning the issues of electricity, water, and roads that have existed in the village for a long time,
Further, he ensured that the development would happen as the villagers had given them a chance and had shown trust in them. He said there would be no tolerance for corruption, and mutual hostility and disputes wouldn't be allowed.
These words are a massive development and progress in themselves, showing that given the suitable space and resources, people can change, and this is why rehabilitation is essential.
Unopposed Victory
The Ex-dacoit's wife had filed the nomination papers for her candidature as the Sungayayi gram panchayat Sarpanch in the Aaron locality of the Guna district in Madhya Pradesh. What she didn't expect was a unanimous victory in the election by the residents of the village.
According to reports, the Sungayayi Panchayat has only women as Panches, which was the additional push for Lalita. She added that "Nari Shakti" is extremely powerful, as reported by Times Of India.
Dacoity Is In The Past
Often known as the Bandit King of India, Malkhan Singh, who hails from Bhind, was one of the main dacoits in the Chambal region. After he and his gang surrendered in 1982 when former MP Chief Minister Arjun Singh was in power, he spent almost seven years in jail after being acquitted of all charges against him.
As reported by BBC, there were 94 cases against him in total, which included 17 cases of murder, 28 kidnappings, and around 18 dacoities. He had a reward of Rs 70,000, a considerable sum back then.
Since his release, he's turned around for the better, and he's been active in politics due to the want for development, even campaigning for BJP and Samajwadi Party in recent years.
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