LUCKNOW: Kusuma Nain took to the Chambal ravines in the early ’80s and first made headlines for gunning down 12 men of the Mallah community in Asta village in 1984. During the two-decade-long reign of terror that followed, Kusuma Nain was named as an accused in over 35 cases of murder, kidnapping for ransom, among others.
She, along with her gang members, surrendered to the police in 2004. She was lodged in Etawah jail and admitted to a hospital in Lucknow a fortnight ago after she fell ill. She died on Sunday.
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Kusuma Nain – The Other Bandit Queen! Did You Know About Phoolan Devi’s Fierce Rival?
Married off at 13 and eventually kidnapped from her in-laws’ house by dreaded dacoit Vikram Mallah at the instance of his relative who had eyed her for long, Kusuma later aligned with Lala Ram’s gang after a conflict with Phoolan Devi. During her stay in jail, Kusuma Nain became a religious preacher and used to recite the Ramayan.
Born in 1964 in Tikri village of Sirsa Kalar, Jalaun, Kusuma was the only daughter of Daru Nain, a respected village head. She was raised in comfort and affection, with her family ensuring she lacked nothing. However, her life took a fateful turn at the age of 13 when she fell in love with her neighbour, Madhav Mallah, and eloped with him.
For nearly two years, Kusuma remained untraceable until she wrote to her father, revealing that she was living in Delhi’s Mangolpuri area with Madhav. Furious yet determined to bring her back, Daru Nain sought the help of Delhi Police and successfully retrieved her. To ensure she stayed away from Madhav, he arranged her marriage with Kedar Nain from Kurauli village. However, Madhav refused to accept this separation. Heartbroken, he confided in his relative Vikram Mallah, a notorious bandit of the Chambal. What followed was a dramatic abduction—Vikram, accompanied by his gang, stormed Kusuma’s in-laws’ house, forcibly took her away, and inducted her into the gang.
Making Of A Dacoit
Once in Vikram Mallah’s gang, Kusuma quickly adapted to the harsh world of dacoity. However, tensions arose when she came into conflict with Phoolan Devi, another rising woman bandit. Kusuma was soon instructed to assassinate dacoit Lala Ram to prove her loyalty, but she refused. Instead, she defected to Lala Ram’s gang, marking the beginning of her infamous reign in the Chambal ravines.
Her most gruesome act came in 1984 when she led a massacre in Auraiya’s Asta village. Kusuma and her gang killed 12 people in cold blood, including a woman and her child, whom they burned alive. She claimed this was revenge for Phoolan Devi’s infamous Behmai massacre, where 22 Thakurs were shot dead in 1981. This act cemented Kusuma’s place among the most ruthless dacoits in the region.
Kusuma was infamous for her brutal torture methods. When villagers or captives were suspected of hiding information, she would tie them upside down to tree branches and beat them mercilessly to extract confessions or ransom. She even ordered hostages to write letters to their families, begging for ransom, while under extreme duress.
Kusuma’s notoriety peaked in 1982 when she was involved in the murder of police officers. In Churkhi village, she was applying vermillion in front of a mirror when she spotted a police team approaching. Without hesitation, she opened fire, killing SHO Keli Ram and constable Bhure Lal. She and her gang then fled into the ravines, taking police rifles with them.
Clash Of Bandit Queens
Her rivalry with Phoolan Devi turned violent as well. In one incident, she and Lala Ram tied Phoolan to a tree and viciously beat her with rifle butts. This fueled an intense hatred between them, culminating in multiple violent encounters. Kusuma’s reign extended beyond killings—she had a stronghold over villages, dictating elections and punishing dissenters. If she wanted someone to become the village head, they would win unopposed, out of fear. Those who dared to resist were publicly beaten or worse. Her brutal punishments were legendary. In 1988, when two villagers defied her orders, she and her gang abducted them and gouged out their eyes. In another instance, she thrashed four villagers with belts for cutting down trees in a forbidden area.
After nearly two decades of terror, Kusuma and her associate Ram Asrey, alias Fakkad Baba, surrendered to the police in 2004. Their decision was driven by increasing police pressure and dwindling support from local villagers.
Once inside Etawah Jail, Kusuma took a surprising turn. She adopted a spiritual path, began reading religious texts, and even taught the Ramayana to fellow inmates. She was often seen praying and advising younger prisoners to avoid the path of crime.
