In wanted gangster’s village, regret over sportsman he could have been

Vicky Gounder’s father Mehal Singh at their home at Sarawan Bodla village in Muktsar. Gurmeet Singh

Gangster Vicky Gounder’s parents met him last in August 2016, when he was taken from Nabha jail to Ferozpur for a court hearing, and pleaded with him to quit his life of crime. A few months later, Gounder fled from the Nabha high-security Nabha jail. “We met him for more than an hour and a half, and we made our best efforts to convince him to leave his criminal ways. And he agreed too. But we were shocked to hear about his escape from Nabha jail in November, 2016”, said his father, Mehal Singh. Since then, police have so far failed to nab Gounder, the most wanted gangster in Punjab. His mother now says that the family has disowned him.

“We disowned him a long time back and now we have nothing to do with him,” said Jaswinder Kaur, 55. Vicky, or Harjinder, the name his parents gave him at birth, is the eldest of the family’s four children. He has a brother, and two sisters — who are both married.

The family lives on the outskirts of Sarawan Bodla, at a house in the middle of the fields sown with wheat. It is a large house, but with a half-done paint job. Inside, Mehal Singh, recalls in tone of regret how his son’s life could have taken a different turn. “He was a discus thrower who showed his ability at national level too,” says the father.

Sarawan Bodla is the largest village in Malout tehsil of Lambi constituency, which has long been the pocket borough of former Chief Minister Punjab Parkash Singh Badal. The village has produced several national-level kabbadi players, with many going on to participate in international events. It has a population of over 6,000.

While the family says it has given up on Vicky, some in the village are quick to declare that Gounder is the one who has been wronged. The predominant sentiment in the village is the same regret that Mehal Singh has — about a boy who could have attained great heights as a sportsman had he not fallen for a life of crime.“He is from our village, and he cannot commit any wrong act.

If he shoots someone, that person must have been done something wrong. We have a feeling of brotherhood for him. We are ready to do anything for him. I followed him through his Facebook account regularly”, said 25-year-old Randeep Singh, who had seen Gounder during his school and sporting days.

Bagga Singh (62) declared, “He is on the right track. He is righteous in his actions. We know his father, his entire family. They are honest and noble persons. Gounder is also innocent from his heart. He does not run after women. He is not a drug addict. He believes in religion. He cannot do anything that is unethical.” Bagga, a labourer, claims to work in fields of Mehal Singh and his four brothers, who jointly own 15 acres.

Another man, an employee with State Panchyat Department who had studied with Gounder, requesting anonymity said, “He was the brightest sportsman among our age group. He was not outspoken and a reserved kind of person, who did not bother about anything. He was not good at his studies.”

A teacher at the local school, who did not wish to be named, pointed towards a list of names written on a wall under titled ‘Sarawan Bodla Dai Chamkade Sitare’ (Shinning stars of Sarawan Bodla), said, “I am sure, Gounder’s name would have been on that list had he not gone into criminal activities. He had the capacity and zeal to do something in the field of sports.”

The teacher added that Gounder spent most of his time at the playground situated near the school. “His fellow students started addressing him as Gounder because of that. He studied here till Class 8. He failed to clear the Class 8 exam,” he added. His parents sent him to a sports institute ‘Speed Fund Academy’ in Jalandhar, but that is where, instead of blossoming into a star sportsman, he took to crime.

Virender Behl, another teacher who had taught Gounder in his school days, said, “As his name started cropping up in criminal activities, police took away his entire school record. We still remember him as an excellent sportsman. He belonged to a poor family and teachers had a soft corner for him as he was excellent in sports. He was an average student, but very conscientious about his sports’ practice. Even we found him practising discus throw during his routine class periods.”

“Till some years back, a picture of Gounder receiving a prize from a local politician for his excellent performance in discus throw on national level was on displayed in the government library of the village but later, the picture was also taken by local police,” said Randeep.

Now, Gounder is the most wanted man in Punjab. He was arrested in December 2015 as the prime suspect in the murder of gangster Sukha Kahlwan. He was moved to Nabha jail after a clash with a rival gang in Ropar jail. Four of his accomplices, who escaped with him out of Nabha jail and at least 26 who perpetrated the sensational escape, have been arrested but he and another man, Kashmir Singh, continue to evade the police. In recent weeks, the police have raided spots in different parts of Punjab, including Jalandhar, Amritsar and Mohali, based on information that he was hiding there. But so far the 28-year-old gangster has proved to be elusive.

Darshan Singh, younger brother of Mehal Singh, said, “Two days before Diwali last year, two dozen police personnel had camped near our house for two days. And three of them turned to be old classmates of Gounder, who had studied with him at the local government school.”

A senior police officer from Muktsar said, “We keep a watch on the house of Gounder and in the surrounding of Sarawan Bodla village. It is a routine process, which is being adopted to trace any fugitive criminal.”

Harpreet Singh, son of Sarawan Bodla sarpanch, Veerpal Kaur, said, “The arrival of a police party in the village in the connection of Gounder has become a routine affair. Police keep taking updates about the family of Gounder through us and other villagers. But Gounder’s family is well respected in the village. They are very hard working people and they keep to themselves.”