Who was Brahmeshwar Singh alias ‘Mukhiya ji’?

Brahmeshwar Singh alias ‘Mukhiya ji’ was the head of an upper caste militia, known as the Ranvir Sena.

Singh was on a morning walk when he was accosted by gunmen who pumped several bullets into him, killing him on the spot at Katira Mohalla under Nawada police station, 71 kms from Patna.

Brahmeshwar Singh was arrested in Patna on August 29, 2002 on several accounts of murder. Singh, who was earlier facing life imprisonment in various carnage cases, was acquitted and released from jail in April this year.

Ranvir Sena was founded in September 1994 in Belaur village of Udwantnagar block by Brahmeshwar Singh of Khopira. The core group of membership of the Ranvir Sena is composed of Brahman Bhumihars.

Ranvir Sena had influence in areas like Jahanabad, Patna, Rohtas, Aurangabad, Gaya, Bhabhua and Buxar districts.

Singh was allegedly responsible for perpetrating several killings including Laxmanpur Bathe massacre of 61 Dalits way back in December 1996.

Ranvir Sena is alleged to have carried out numerous mass killings of low caste villagers. The right-wing upper-caste landlord militia group has been accused of carrying out atrocities against Dalits and Maoists as well their sympathisers.

Ranvir Sena was banned by the Bihar government in July 1995.

Atrocities of Ranvir Sena

It has been alleged that the group killed 50 people during 1995 Bihar elections.

On 23 March 1997, the Ranvir Sena killed 10 workers in Haibaspur.

On 11 July 1996, 21 Dalits were slaughtered by the Ranvir Sena in Bathani Tola.

On 1 December 1997, they killed 61 Dalits.

The dreaded group justified the killing of women and children saying, "We kill children because they will grow up to become Naxalites. We kill women because they will give birth to Naxalites."

In 1999, the gang killed 22 Dalits. The group followed it with spate of killings in village of Narayanpur, where the Ranvir Sena killed 12 lower-caste people.

Who is Ranvir Sena?

Ranvir Sena is a private Military Outfit based in Bihar formed to tackle the growing atrocities committed by Naxalites. This group is thought to be formed by Bhumihar Brahmin landlords. The Ranvir Sena has committed violent acts against Naxalite sympathisers and other members of the militant communist party. The Bihar State government banned the Ranvir Sena in July 1995 and since then the Ranvir Sena remains proscribed.

The name Ranvir comes from Ranvir Baba who lived during the late 19th century. Ranvir Baba, a retired military man and a resident of Belaur village in Bhojpur district, protected the rights of the Bhumihars Brahmins against the Rajputs. It is believed that Bhumihars asserted their power in Bhojpur because of his efforts. This gave the Ranvir Sena its name when it was founded decades later under the leadership of Brahmeshwar Singh ‘Mukhiya’.

It was founded in September 1994 in Belaur village of Udwantnagar block, Bhojpur district following the merger of private caste armies like Savarna Liberation Army and the Sunlight Sena. The forerunners to the Ranvir Sena in Bhojpur district were the Brahmarshi Sena and Kuer Sena, Kisan Morcha and Ganga Sena. These groups were smaller in size and operated with a limited area. They could not sustain for long and had withered away due to repeated Naxalite onslaughts.

Brahmeshwar Singh of Khopira founded Ranvir Sena. Its founding and continuing commander is Brahmeshwar Singh of Khopira village.

From Bhojpur district where it was formed, over a period of time, the Ranvir Sena spread to Jahanabad, Patna, Rohtas, Aurangabad, Gaya, Bhabhua and Buxardistricts. It mobilises the landed gentry in these districts against the People’s War Group (PWG), the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) and the CPI-ML (Liberation).

The Ranvir Sena is highly organized, has extensive influence among landowners in its areas of operation, and is supposedly well-endowed with financial resources.

Ranvir Sena cadres are militarily better-organised and are better-paid than any of the private armies of the past. The cadres operate mostly underground while their leaders are believed to be living in towns.

Brahmeshwar Singh ‘Mukhiya’, the founder chief of the Ranvir Sena, on whose head the authorities had placed a reward of half a million Indian rupees, was the Supreme Commander of the Ranvir Sena until he was arrested in Patna on August 29, 2002 to face a large number of criminal cases, which included those related to massacres.

Initial reports said that Shamsher Bahadur Singh was, on September 7, 2002, appointed new chief of the Ranvir Sena. However, according to a report of December 25, 2002, the chief of the Ranvir Sena was Bhuar Thakur until he was arrested with his two associates on December 24, 2002 near Karnol bridge on the Patna-Sasaram road in Charpokhri, Bhojpur.

On 8th July 2011, Brahmeshwar Singh was released on bail after serving 9 years in jail for 17 cases, including those related to Dalit carnages in Bihar, after he was arrested from Patna in 2002. He was earlier granted bail in 16 other cases.

Ranvir Kisan Maha Sangh is the political wing that tried to take part in the 2004 elections. The Ranvir Mahila Sangh, a women’s wing, has also been created. Its members too have been trained in arms use. The centre is in Jehanabad.

On 5 May 2012, the founder of Ranvir Sena Brahmeshwar Mukhiya, floated a non-political outfit Akhil Bharatiya Rashtravadi Kisan Sangathan.