JOIN USMany Rajasthani women live life in the fast lane
April 29, 2014: Wife of a sub-inspector posted in the state CID wing was arrested for allegedly duping 60 women of Rs 1.22 crore.
Jyoti Chandani’s modus operandi was to attend high- profile kitty parties and convince women to invest in real estate, assuring them of high returns. Police also arrested her husband Prakash Chandani, who was the mastermind. Jyoti, who has a postgraduate degree in arts, is a homemaker.
May 28, 2014: The anti-corruption bureau arrested Kota SP Satyaveer Singh for accepting bribe through a woman, who was running a bribery and extortion racket in Kota. Farheen is reported to have an affair with the SP and was even influencing probe in crime cases.
Farheen, who had a restaurant in a fashionable locality in Kota, was the bag woman for the SP even for transfer of local police officials and extending undue favours for criminals. She would do all these for a price.
June 17, 2014: Police were shocked to find full-time involvement of several women in the business of extortion and stealing vehicles. The Karauli Police arrested a 25-year-old woman who came to sell a stolen bike to the original owner himself. This was just the tip of the iceberg. The police found that she had links with prisoners and on their directions she was operating. Most of the gang members are graduates.
July 10, 2014: The Rajasthan Police busted a gang allegedly involved in leaking question papers of various competitive exams conducted by the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC).
Eight members of the gang were arrested and two of them were women.T he two had completed their postgraduation and were about to appear in Grade-II teacher examination. The two were promised that they would get question paper in advance.
These are not just routine crime making headlines in Rajasthan newspapers. There is a common thread—involvement of well-educated and good-looking women hailing from respectable families. That has shocked the most people as Rajasthan is considered to be male-dominant society and women have very little role outside their houses.
“Women are now taking to the world of crime. Women now want to rub shoulders with male criminals. They are not confining themselves to extending support to criminal activities. Some of them are emerging as masterminds of the crime. In some cases, men work for them and share the booty with their boss,” said a senior police official.
According to the Jaipur police, they have more than 20 women history-sheeters in Jaipur.
They handle illicit liquor and land deals, extort money and even indulge in burglaries. Police are worried with the growing number of women, with no criminal background, taking to the world of crime.
“A quick check into the records shows that of late many women with no criminal background are involved in major cases. Many gangs also use them as shields to execute heinous crimes and get away when they are caught. Police have no choice but to punish the culprits. Once a case is registered, they are closely monitored, whether it is a man or a woman,” said a senior police officials.
Police are baffled with the new development in the traditional society. However, sociologists and psychologists say that the increasing involvement of women is a “transformation phase of feudal cultural society into a modern and mechanised society, where resources are limited and materialistic pleasure becomes the sole objective.” Be it the involvement of high society women in criminal activities or those coming from backward communities, the mad race for materialistic pleasure is the root cause.
“The entire scenario can be broadly classified into two categories. One segment comprises the women from backward class where crime is becoming the family profession as they have no alternative. Another segment is from high society where men are using women to hide their identity. Many times it’s also the individual aspirations of the woman that lead her to world of crime, said Rajive Gupta, a prominent sociologist in Jaipur.
Most psychologists working with police department believe that increasing participation of women in criminal activities can also be linked to rise in education, limited resources and modern lifestyle.
“The level of education has increased among both men and women in the state but resources are limited. The craving for modern lifestyle makes sometimes women to go to any extent and criminal activities look an easy option” a psychologist with police department told Deccan Herald. The tendency is more among young women and couples, she added.
A few high-profile cases in the past reveal that women were just the face and the man, who was the mastermind, wanted to hide his identity. Interestingly, the women were not forced into it but were willing partners in the crime.
“Again motive was the same. Materialistic pleasure and desire for lavish lifestyle. In such cases, the man preferred to hide the identity so that he can use his influence and get the needful done in the event of the spouse is caught by the police,” said Rajive Gupta.
The traditional and feudal culture of Rajasthan is visible in such cases where woman is exposed to a dangerous situation and men preferred to stay back, he added.
According to experts, women, especially in eastern Rajasthan, indulge in criminal activities for different reasons. “What is really surprising is that women from backward communities are taking to unlawful activities. In most cases, the family has a criminal background.
Family members are ready to share profits and dangers. Besides, political protection is also an important aspect,” said Rajive Gupta.
Women who are into crime are the best bet for the inter-state criminal gangs operating in eastern Rajasthan, he added.