notorious bandit known by many
Indians as a local Robin Hood who defended forests against illegal loggers and
poachers was shot dead Sunday in northern
Shiv Kumar Patel, 56, also known
as "Dadua," was killed along with 10 other
members of his gang in Uttar Pradesh state.
The bandit faced more than 200 criminal cases against him,
including murder, extortion and kidnapping.
Many local villagers hailed him as a kind of Robin Hood. He
would often rob the rich to feed the poor, particularly those belonging to his
own low "kurmi" caste.
Dadua had been roaming the jungles
of Uttar Pradesh and neighboring Madhya Pradesh state for decades.
