Fiction vs Reality: King of Mirzapur

While the makers of Mirzapur never said that it is based on the life and happenings around the life of Munna Bajrangi, the entire show has quite a lot of similarities including the names of characters, the location and the incidents being depicted.

Uttar Pradesh is a diverse land of well known politicians and great leaders but the one thing that it is also unfortunately known for, is the Mafia culture it houses. You'll be surprised to know the number of ganglords the state has birthed including Vikas Dubey, a brahmin ganglord, Raja Bhaiyya, DP Yadav, Brijbhushan, Sharan Singh, all ganglords turned politicians. But the one man in focus today is Munna Bajrangi, one of the greatest and well renowned Rajput gangster.

Also Read: Vikas Dubey’s life of crime spanning 30 years: 62 cases, including 5 of murder

Life of Munna Bhaiya

Prem Prakash Singh aka the King of Mirzapur was a man feared in Mirzapur, Jaunpur and Varanasi regions of UP. His influence expanded from politicians to business owners which made him nearly untouchable. He got involved in crime at an early age. He was just 17 when the first case of murder and possession of illegal arms was registered against him.

After some independent killings, Munna Bajrangi joined Gajraj Singh's gang in Jaunpur. (You might recognize the name from Mirzapur 2). He went on to join Mukhtar Ansari and the gang in the 1990s, and became his close associate. Ansari's gang had influence all over eastern Uttar Pradesh (Purvanchal) and was operated from the Mau region (Bihar) expanding Munna Bhaiya’s reach to quite an extent.

One of the cases that made Munna Bajrangi a spectacle in the public’s eye when he murdered BJP leader Krishnanand Rai as a part of some gang rivalry while being a part of the Ansari gang. Allegedly, Bajrangi and his gang members killed Rai by firing 400 bullets from six AK-47 rifles in broad daylight, committing a cold and gruesome murder.The gang war and firing that took place was apparently the largest 'display of firepower' in a mafia battle in UP. After this murder, Munna Bajrangi shifted to Mumbai with his family which included his wife, Seema Singh and three children. A most-wanted criminal in over 40 murders and extortion cases, Bajrangi carried a cash reward of over ₹7,00,000 on his head for his arrest. He was finally caught by the joint forces of Mumbai and Delhi police in Mumbai 2009.

Also Read: Criminal at 17, gangster Munna Bajrangi had 40 cases of murder and extortion against him

While still in jail, he even had an unsuccessful dwindling in politics to restart his career when he contested in the 2012 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. His nexus with criminal gangs and politicians prompted the authorities to shift him from one jail to another to steer clear of any break ins. In July 2018, he was shot dead by Sunil Rathi, another prison inmate and a member of a rival gang at Baghpat jail. There were allegations that this was a planned murder but the case is still being investigated by CBI even though not very promptly one must add.

To get a quick inside on the real life of Kaleen Bhaiya, check out the video below

Journey from Ganglord to Neta

People who vote for criminal politicians are fully aware of their criminal record, and this may in fact be a key reason why they cast their vote in their favour: because they believe that in times of need, the strong-arm tactics of the candidate can be relied upon to get things done. In a country faced with crumbling and often unresponsive state institutions, such men can often act as effective enforcers of property rights and as quick dispute resolution authorities. More importantly, they can get the state machinery to move through coercion when all else fails.

The decay of party organizations lead assorted slumlords and gang-lords to reach out to an influential section of voters. And to protect these elements, the police force was thoroughly politicized across Indian states, with even the appointment (or transfer) of junior police officers decided by political bosses. Low police salaries meant that they increasingly came to depend on kickbacks from criminals leading to a deep nexus between the three elements—criminals, politicians, and the police—which thrives to this day.

Many of these politicians also project a ‘Robin Hood’ or Dabangg image, getting the state to work for the less privileged among other ethnic groups, thereby gaining their support.

Also Read: The demand and supply of ‘Dabangg’ leaders in India

Ex- Vikas Dubey, a Brahmin ganglord, has been a small-time outlaw. But his ability to get 20 pradhans elected translated into one lakh votes, enough to win an MLA seat and significantly influence a parliamentary constituency. In the mid-nineties, criminals were flourishing in UP politics and several gangsters including Raja Bhaiyya, DP Yadav, Brijbhushan and Sharan Singh had emerged as politicians too. Not to be outdone, in 1996, Mukhtar Ansari was elected from Mau. These gangs made money by cornering government contracts with political help.

Criminals in the Indian Political System

The analysis by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), an organisation that works in the area of electoral and political reforms, shows that 43% of the newly elected MPs are charged with criminal offenses, while 29% of them are facing serious criminal charges such as murder, rape and kidnapping.

Also Read: MPs with criminal cases? India is ok with it.

Conclusion

While the makers of Mirzapur never said that it is based on the life and happenings around the life of Munna Bajrangi, the entire show has quite a lot of similarities including the names of characters, the location and the incidents being depicted. I would finally add that Mirzapur was one of the greatest thriller tv shows amongst the OTT platforms making the life story of Munna Bajrangi a public spectacle and fascination.