When the police apprehended the serial killer in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, even they were stunned by how cunning he was. His actions have left everyone shocked.
He would propose to middle-aged women when they were alone, and if the woman rejected his advances, he would become so enraged that he would kill her. First, he would strangle the woman and then tie a knot around her neck with her saree to ensure there was no chance she could survive. Since the case came to light, people have been wondering how Kuldeep Kumar Gangwar, who killed nine women within a 25-kilometer radius of Bareilly, became so vicious. What drove him to become so ruthless?
Kuldeep Kumar Gangwar was arrested by the police for the murders of women in the Shishgarh and Shahi police station areas. He hails from Bakarganj village in the Nawabganj police station area. During police interrogation, Kuldeep revealed that he has two sisters, but his mother has passed away. He explained that while his mother was alive, his father Baburam married another woman. Subsequently, his father frequently beat his first wife at the behest of the second wife. This planted a seed of hatred in the accused’s mind toward his stepmother, and as a result, he began targeting women of that age group.
The Accused Got Married in 2014
The accused informed the police that he got married in 2014. He didn’t treat his wife well either, and when she resisted, he would beat her too. Due to his violent behavior, his wife left him a few years ago and never returned. These circumstances led Kuldeep Gangwar to become frustrated, and he began consuming cannabis, opium, and alcohol. He started wandering around the forests and villages near his home in Bakarganj.
Kuldeep confessed to killing six women. He was well-acquainted with the deserted paths, fields, and trails in the surrounding areas. He would wander these paths during the day, attacking women only when they were alone in isolated places. Before attacking, he made sure that no one had seen him following the woman. If a child, man, or another woman crossed his path while he was following his target, he would abandon his plan for that day. He operated like a professional.
He Killed Women in Sugarcane Fields
The accused murdered his victims in sugarcane fields. When asked why, he explained that the fields provided cover. He stated that once inside the sugarcane fields, even if someone passed nearby, they wouldn’t notice a person lying inside. That’s why he always committed the crimes in sugarcane fields.
The Accused Tied Knots Around Their Necks
Moreover, he wanted to ensure that there was no chance the woman could survive. After strangling the woman, he would tie a tight knot around her neck with the saree or dupatta she was wearing before leaving the scene. He believed that if she survived, she would identify him and later inform the police about the incident.
Kuldeep Did Not Own a Mobile Phone
The police revealed that Kuldeep Kumar never used a mobile phone and didn’t rely on any vehicle or mode of transport for commuting. He would always walk and take something from his victims as a memento after killing them. After murdering the first woman, Anita Devi, he took her voter ID card, a red lipstick, a red bindi, and a piece of her blouse as tokens. Similarly, after killing Premvati from Anandpur village, he took a sickle. After murdering Dhanvati from Kulcha village, he took her Aadhaar card. He also took a sickle from Mahmoodan, the victim from Lakhimpur village in the Shishgarh police station area, and from his fifth victim, he took a bundle of bidi, matches, and 130 rupees in cash.
22 Teams Were Formed to Catch the Accused
Bareilly SSP Anurag Arya stated that an operation named “Talaash” was launched to apprehend this psycho killer. 22 teams were formed, and the operation was carried out in a 25-kilometer radius. Over 600 new cameras were installed, and 1,500 old CCTV cameras were reviewed. Data from over 150,000 mobile phones were analyzed under surveillance, which eventually led the police to the accused.
A Tip-off Came After the Sketch Was Released
The police were certain that a psycho killer was targeting middle-aged women, so they sent a team to Mumbai to study the case. They reviewed voter lists from nearby villages to identify individuals who had faced turmoil in their lives. After releasing a sketch, they received a tip-off, which led to the arrest of Kuldeep Gangwar (35), son of Baburam. The accused confessed to killing six of the women.
The spectre of a serial killer is looming large over a rural portion of Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly after nine women from the same age group have been found murdered in nearly the same fashion in a span of about 13 months.
All of the women were strangled to death, most with their own saree, police officials said.
Eight women from the 40-65 age group had been killed last year in the Shahi, Sheeshgarh and Shergarh police station areas, which border each other. In all of the cases, the bodies were found in sugarcane fields with the clothes dishevelled, but there were no signs of sexual assault. Another common thread in the murders was that most of the women were choked to death using the sarees they were wearing.
Three murders took place in quick succession in June last year, followed by one each in July, August and October, and two in November.
After the eighth murder, an extra force of 300 policemen, divided into 14 teams of uniformed and plainclothes officials, descended on the region, patrolling and keeping an eye on known criminals.
No other killings took place after that and even though the killer – or killers – had not been caught, local residents and the police heaved a sigh of relief.
Another Killing In August
The peace lasted all of seven months, however, before 45-year-old Anita was strangled and her body was found in a sugarcane field in July.
Anita, a resident of Bhujiya Jagir village in Shergarh had gone to her maternal home in Fatehganj’s Khirka village. She left the house on July 2 and went to a bank to withdraw some money. Her body was found in a sugarcane field and a post-mortem revealed that she had been strangled with her saree.
An official said they had suspicions that one person, a serial killer, could be behind last year’s murders and the killing in July has strengthened those suspicions. The Uttar Pradesh police brass has also become involved and Additional Director General of Police Ramit Sharma, Inspector General Rakesh Kumar and Senior Superintendent of Police Anurag Arya and Superintendent of Police Manush Pareek were among those who reached the spot where the body was found to take stock of the situation.
Sketches Released
After speaking to several people from the areas where the murders took place, the police have released the sketches of three suspects. They have also issued a list of phone numbers for people to call if they have any leads, including 9554402549 and 9258256969 for the office of the Superintendent of Police (South), Bareilly.
SP (South) Manush Pareek said, “A woman’s body was found in a sugarcane field in the Shahi police station area on July 2. A case has been registered and many teams have been deployed. Some similar murders have been carried out before this as well and we are trying to ascertain how many of them are connected.”
“Many teams are working on the case and patrols are being carried out. Checkpoints have also been set up and suspicious vehicles are being stopped for inspection. Advisories have been issued in villages, asking people to remain alert. We will soon uncover who is behind the murders,” he added.
(With inputs from Randeep Singh)
