JAIPUR: Notorious dacoit Jagan Gurjar, who was lodged in a high-security jail in Rajasthan’s Ajmer, was allegedly murdered by a fellow inmate following a scuffle inside their cell, police said on Monday.According to officials, Gurjar was allegedly strangled with a towel by Vishnu, an inmate who shared the same cell with him, according to news agency PTI. The incident is believed to have occurred between 11 am and 3 pm.“Preliminary investigation suggested a one-to-one scuffle over a petty issue inside the jail, which led to the murder of Jagan Gurjar. The accused, Vishnu, had been living with Gurjar in the same cell,” Ajmer SP Harshvardhan Agarwalla told PTI.“They were locked in at 11 am and when a guard went to the cell at 3 pm, he found him dead. The body had no visible sign of injury,” a jail official said.The official said Vishnu had been lodged in the high-security jail for the past three years, while Gurjar was transferred there in March this year.During questioning, Vishnu allegedly confessed to strangling Gurjar with a towel, SP Agarwalla said, adding that further investigation is underway.A forensic team reached the jail premises to collect evidence, while the body was sent to a mortuary for post-mortem examination.A native of Rajasthan’s Dholpur district, Gurjar had nearly 100 criminal cases registered against him across multiple police stations.He first came into the limelight in 2008 when he allegedly threatened to blow up the residence of then chief minister Vasundhara Raje in Dholpur. He later surrendered in 2009 before Congress leader Sachin Pilot.In June 2019, Gurjar was arrested for allegedly assaulting two women and tearing their clothes. Nearly 500 police personnel were involved in the operation to apprehend him.He was arrested again in February 2022 in another case in which he allegedly threatened to kill then Congress MLA Girraj Malinga.According to police, Gurjar entered the world of crime in 1994 and was booked in several cases. He was first arrested in 2001 and was subsequently arrested multiple times before securing bail on several occasions.Gurjar operated in the ravines of the Chambal region spanning Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, an area historically known for bandit activity.Police said he had three wives, one of whom was allegedly involved in his criminal activities and was injured in a police encounter in Madhya Pradesh several years ago.
