Agra (Uttar Pradesh):Once a feared dacoit, accused of committing a number heinous crimes - around 100 murders and 200 kidnappings - Pancham Singh is now a revered saint in Uttar Pradesh's Agra.
Now a frail old soft-spoken man in his 90's, it is difficult to imagine Singh as a dacoit operating in the ravines of Chambal for years.
Notorious dacoit to revered saint - the story of Pancham Singh The nonagenarian took up arms in 1958 when he was beaten up black and blue by a faction of a political party contesting the Panchayat polls in his village in Madhya Pradesh.
Singh was hospitalised for several days and was thrashed again when released from the hospital, these incidents led him to take off to the ravines of Chambal where he met dacoits who welcomed him into their gang.
He officially earned the title of a dacoit after murdering six people from his village.
What made him surrender arms?
After spending years in the midst of the criminal muddle, Singh wanted to break away from the secluded lifestyle, and Jai Prakash Narayan-led 'Operation Persuasion' provided him with the perfect platform to do so.
He persuaded 556 dacoits to surrender arms and join the mainstream.
"We held a meeting, and around 556 dacoits decided to surrender their arms only if the government agreed to our demands. We demanded exemption from the death penalty, open prisons, good food, land, children's education, and permission to live with our families," said Singh.
"The government agreed to all our demands, hence we surrendered, " added the former dacoit.
Singh, who once commanded control over 25 districts in Madhya Pradesh, had left behind his terror days and was living a respectable life. But, he still felt a void and was constantly in pursuit of peace.
The former dacoit eventually gave up all worldly pleasures and decided to pursue a life devoid of all material possessions.
"I used to rule over 25 districts. I have even slept on currency notes, done a lot of things. But, I never found peace. One can find peace only by detaching oneself from worldly pleasures," said the ageing saint.
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Although Singh has left behind his life of a dacoit, he still believes that dacoits aren't as evil as they are portrayed in the society. He holds the view that politicians are the real dacoits.
"There is good and bad in all of us. (You need to) Compare the wealth of dacoits and politicians, people will then know who the real dacoits are. Dacoits (at least) have good character and they respect woman, " stated Singh.
