Dacoit Kusuma Nain dies: All about the notorious bandit of Chambal

Chambal dacoit Kusuma Nain gained notoriety when she gunned down 15 people and gouged out the eyes of two victims in Asta village in UP's Auraiya in 1984

Former Chambal bandit Kusuma Nain passed away from tuberculosis at King George Medical University, Lucknow, on Saturday. Her last rites were conducted by her husband, Kedar alias Ruthey Yagik, in her native village, Kurauli in Jalaun, on Monday under tight security, according to media reports.

Feared dacoit of the Chambal valley

The 61-year-old dacoit was infamous in the Chambal Valley and spread terror across Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh in the early 80s. She was a key associate of the notorious dacoit Ramasare, alias Fakkad Baba. She was serving a life sentence for over 20 years in Etawah jail.

 

Kusuma was infamous for her brutal torture methods. She gained notoriety when she, along with other dacoits, gunned down 14 people by lining them up and gouged out the eyes of two victims in Asta village in UP’s Auraiya in 1984. She then set fire to the village.

 

According to media reports, the act was carried out in retaliation for the 1981 Behmai massacre, in which Phoolan Devi and her gang killed 20 men, sparking nationwide outrage. In response, Asta village, home to members of Phoolan’s caste, was attacked. Kusuma and her associates allegedly killed several villagers and set homes ablaze in revenge.

 

During the two-decade-long reign of terror, Kusuma’s gang was implicated in more than 50 criminal cases in Uttar Pradesh and 35 in Madhya Pradesh, involving murders, kidnappings, and robbery. The Uttar Pradesh Police had then offered a bounty of Rs 20,000 for her capture, while the Madhya Pradesh Police announced a reward of Rs 15,000.

Surrender and life in prison

On June 8, 2004, she, along with Fakkad Baba and their entire gang, surrendered unconditionally at the Rawatpura outpost of Damoh police station in Bhind, Madhya Pradesh.

 

After surrendering in 2004, she turned to spirituality and became a religious preacher during her stay in Etawah Jail. 

 

Early life and entry into dacoity 

Born in 1964 in Tikri village, Jalaun, Kusuma was the only daughter of village head Daru Nain. At 13, she married her neighbour, Madhav Mallah, against her family’s wishes.

 

After being missing for nearly two years, she was found in Delhi’s Mangolpuri area and brought back by her father with police assistance. To separate her from Madhav, her father arranged her marriage to Kedar Nain. However, Madhav, heartbroken, sought help from his relative, Vikram Mallah, a notorious Chambal dacoit.

 

Kusuma was eventually abducted from her in-laws’ house by Vikram Mallah and soon adapted to the brutal life of dacoity. After a dispute with Phoolan Devi, she later joined Lala Ram’s gang.

 

Final days of Kusuma Nain

On February 1, Kusuma was admitted to Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Government Hospital in Etawah, Uttar Pradesh. Due to her deteriorating health, she was transferred to Saifai Medical University and later to King George’s Medical University in Lucknow, where she passed away on Saturday (March 1) afternoon.