Phoolan Devi's gun, dacoits' relics in a new museum in Madhya Pradesh's Chambal

Phoolan Devi’s gun, a tape recorder belonging to the infamous Nirbhay Gujjar and ransom letters will be on display

Madhya Pradesh’s Chambal belt, once known for some of India’s most frightening dacoits, will now be home to a museum with famous articles used by them.

Phoolan Devi’s gun, a tape recorder belonging to the infamous Nirbhay Gujjar, ransom letters and chains for holding captives are some of the many things that will be on display in this museum.

This museum is being set up by the Bhind police in their headquarters, not to glorify the dacoits but to highlight police’s sacrifices in their efforts to rein in these terrifying elements, Bhind SP Manoj Kumar Singh told Indian Express.

The museum will have pictures of 28 policemen who died fighting dacoits in the region, 30 police officers who won valour awards and others who were promoted out of turn. It will also have TVs that will play stories of kidnappings and interviews of family members of the victims.

This venture has been funded by donations worth Rs 3 lakh collected from 26 police stations under Singh.

“There will be at least 2,000 digitised police records and material compiled over the past five decades chronicling the crimes of murder, loot and kidnapping carried out by these bandits. The Chambal region became infamous in the country due to these deeds,” the SP said.

The police are developing a tourism route showing famous places including the spot where infamous dacoit Paan Singh Tomar died or where Phoolan Devi surrendered.