Haryana’s Corleones: A family in which every member has a criminal record

Everyone in Satbir Singh Bawariya’s family has been to jail.

Satbir, a 43-year-old among Haryana’s most wanted criminals, was arrested on Wednesday at Tilak Nagar, 16 years after he fled police custody.

After attacking a police team in Karnal, he fled to Delhi and changed his name to Rajkumar. Satbir had severed ties with his gang members and chose to continue committing crimes, but with his family this time.

“He trained his family in crime,” said an officer.

Satbir’s family details read like a long list of offenders at a police station. His wife Kamlesh (40) – declared a proclaimed offender for not appearing in court for three theft cases – was arrested with him on

Wednesday by inspector Rajpal Dabas’s team.

The couple has two sons and two daughters. Eldest son Uday was killed in an accident in February while riding a stolen motorcycle in outer Delhi. A man had spotted his body on the road, with a pistol in his pocket.

Daughters Jyoti and Mallika were arrested for shoplifting in 2007 and 2015, respectively. The two women allegedly stole in markets and malls. Last year, his 15-year-old son was caught stealing at a neighbour’s house by the Delhi police.

For 16 years, the Singhs kept the family business running. Satbir was arrested twice during those years, but he managed to give the slip both times by convincing Delhi cops that he was Rajkumar, a poor farmer from Rajasthan with a clean record.

Recently, the flourishing Singhs bought 45 bighas of land in Rajasthan for Rs 50 lakh. Two years ago, the family bought a Maruti Suzuki Swift car. Last year, Uday bought a motorcycle. “The Singhs told neighbours they got the car from their relatives who are well-off. No one guessed he was a criminal with six heinous crime cases against him,” the officer said.

Keeping up tradition

Satbir confessed that he managed to avoid arrest for so long by cutting of all ties with his former gang members, who also happen to be his extended family.

His elder brother Mohar Singh’s sons Kuldeep and Jarnail worked for Satbir. The two, arrested in the same cases as Satbir, are serving life imprisonment in a Gurgaon jail. Police said they haven’t found any charges against Mohar Singh so far.

Singh’s sister Banto went to jail for theft in Punjab. Her two sons, Vijay and Rajender, are behind bars for dacoity.

“The family has a criminal record. Singh’s second brother Fateh Singh came out recently after a 10-year imprisonment at a Punjab jail. Fateh’s son,

Phool Singh, who died a few years ago was earlier booked for murder and robbery,” an officer said.

His friend Rohtash, who had fled police custody with him, was killed in a police encounter, and another gang member Kuldeep was murdered in 2002. “He did not want to be killed like his gang members so he chose to work with his family and trained them,” said an investigating officer.