Lawlessness in Uttar Pradesh is not limited to crimes against women as is widely publicized in the media. Dacoits mounted on horses holding villages to ransom at will – a phenomenon often considered medieval and a thing of the past – are a reality in Bundelkhand, the most backward back-of-beyond southern portion of UP bordering Madhya Pradesh.

While the UP Police officially claims to have eliminated almost all dacoit gangs of UP, the ravines of Bundelkhand have once again begun to echo with the thump of the hoofs of horses carrying brigands of the notorious Balkharia gang.

The gang is known to hold villagers to ransom, extracting money from their families at will. In its latest diktat, the "most wanted" dacoit, who carries a reward of Rs5 lakh on his head, has imposed a "water tax" on the helpless villagers of this area which is experiencing one of its worst drought spells at present.

Sources in the UP Police here confirm that residents of the village near which the gang camps for rest are ordered to get 35 "matkas" (pitchers) filled with water every day if they want peace in their village. Since most water bodies have dried up due to the severe heat and rain deficiency, the poor villagers – mainly women – have to trudge several kilometres to get the dacoits their daily supply of water.

"The gang does not stay anywhere for more than two nights. They keep moving to avoid being detected by the police teams combing the area," a senior police official told dna. He said the gang had about two dozen members well-equipped with the latest arms and ammunition. "They never carry cell phones to avoid surveillance," he said. The gang is mostly active in Banda and Chitrakoot, the latter being Balkahria's home district.

Since Sudesh Patel alias Balkharia is a dreaded name in the entire region, no one has dared to complain to the police so far. Interestingly, this is precisely the pretext local police officers use to save face when questioned on why Balkharia is roaming free despite being the "most wanted" criminal as per the UP Police website.

"We have not received any such complaint (about the alleged "water tax") from any village as yet," says additional SP, Banda Swami Prasad. "We are combing the dacoit infested areas continuously, and are providing adequate security to the villagers," he adds.