There are many such folk tales in the desert areas of Rajasthan which give examples of bravery and love, but there is also a dark story buried in this soil, hearing which even today the women of the border areas shudder. This is the story of Jiyaram, who was considered a vicious thief in the police records, but in the eyes of the society, he was a son-in-law who would disappear in the morning after celebrating the honeymoon. People used to call him ‘Kunvare Janwai Raja’. Jiyaram’s method of committing crimes was so gruesome and psychological that he left even the villains of suspense films behind.
Creepy conspiracy hatched under the guise of relationships
Jiyaram’s modus operandi was as cunning as it was disgusting. He used to target that lonely house in the remote areas of Barmer and the surrounding sandy areas, where recently there was a clarion call of happiness. His targets were those houses where the daughter was newly married and had come to her parents’ house for the first time. Jiyaram would do Reiki in broad daylight and ensure that the male members of the house had not gone out for any work.
Betrayed in the name of wedding night
As soon as it gets dark, he would enter that house as the son-in-law of ‘Janwai Raja’. At that time, it was difficult to identify faces due to lack of electricity and the practice of veiling in the villages. The old women and other members of the house would consider him as the real son-in-law and start welcoming him. No one would have even guessed that this person enjoying the sake was actually a predator.
real game in the silence of the night
Jiyaram’s real game started in the silence of the night. He would reach the new bride’s room with great confidence. Due to public shame and cultural hesitation, no member of the family doubts him. He would spend the night with the newlywed bride present in the room. As soon as the bride and other people of the house were in deep sleep, Jiyaram would show his true colors. He would cleanly remove all the gold and silver jewelery from the bride’s body and clean out the safe of the house. By the time the family woke up in the morning with the first rays of the sun, ‘Janwai Raja’ was far away. What was left behind was a looted house, shameful relationships and an innocent bride in shock.
What do Rajasthan Police records say?
According to Rajasthan Police records, a total of 17 cases of theft, unauthorized entry and molestation were registered against Jiyaram. But the reality was much more frightening than this. Experts in the crime world and people of that era believe that the number of women and families who were victims was more than 55. In fact, the fear of defamation and public shame was so deep in the rural society of that era that many families did not even mention this to any neighbor, leave alone going to the police and filing a report. Many brides spent their entire lives keeping this secret hidden in their hearts.
The rise and end of the history-sheeter
Jiyaram’s criminal horoscope opened in the year 1988, when for the first time a case of house breaking was registered against him in Chauhtan police station. After this, between 1990 and 1996, he committed a series of crimes in Sindhari, Samdari, Dhorimanna and Chauhtan areas. In the year 1994, the police officially declared him a ‘history sheeter’. He would continuously go to jail and after coming out, he would start the same heinous act again. Till 2003, he remained a big challenge for the police.
Due to years of being immersed in the mire of crime and being behind bars, Jiyaram’s body had become hollow from inside. He was affected by serious lung disease. Ultimately, this vicious criminal died during treatment in 2016. Jiyaram died, but the dark shadow left by him is still felt in those places of Rajasthan, where people still touch their windows and doors again and again before sleeping at night. This story is a warning of how a criminal can bring shame to humanity by taking advantage of society’s traditions and beliefs.
