Moon Gazer continues……

The men masqueraded as balloon and plastic-flower sellers during the day and reconnoitred their area of operation carefully to select their targets.

Before setting out to commit a crime, a location where they could regroup was always decided upon so that in case they needed to disperse due to police intervention, they could reassemble at this spot. They committed crimes on dark nights after watching a late-night movie. Before setting out they removed their clothes, left them at the predetermined meeting point and then set out in their ‘kachchha banyan’ (undergarments). They usually applied oil on their bodies to make them slippery so that getting hold of them would be difficult. They tied stones to their waists, which could be used to attack police parties when chased. The leader of the gang usually carried a daulatiya.

The targeted dwelling was usually located next to a park or a deserted patch of land. Just before going for the kill, they would gather in the park or patch of land and wait until they felt the residents had fallen asleep. They would then break into the house stealthily. The daulatiya would be used to wrench out latches or iron bars installed in windows and doors. Small torches and drills were some of the other accessories that they would carry. Once inside the house they preferred to first kill the residents so that they could ransack the house unhindered. Killing the women of the house was not anathema to them as removing the ornaments from their bodies would be that much simpler. Sometimes, as in the Mausam Bhawan case, the stones tied to their waists were also used to attack and kill the sleeping residents.

Normally the criminals from this tribe  looted  cash and jewellery. If any one of them were caught red-handed, he would feign lunacy or drunkenness. If the charade was discovered and they were arrested, the police would find it hard to break them and get information out of them.

To be continued…