Former dacoit Najju, along with the MLA, offered the bell at the temple. (Representational)
Najju alias Rajju, a former dacoit who walked out of the Bareilly Central Jail a week ago after 23 years, has offered a 101 kg bell at a temple in Shahjahanpur and appealed to the younger generation to stay away from crime.
Now 58, Najju had unleashed a reign of terror for close to 12 years in Shahjahanpur and adjoining areas.
The former dacoit also shared stage with BJP MLA from Katra assembly constituency Veer Vikram Singh 'Prince'.
On Monday, Najju along with the MLA offered the bell at the temple in Paraur area of the district.
Referring to the former dacoit as "our respected uncle", the legislator, in a video, said Najju had "struggled a lot"... "And, during this, whatever wrong was committed by him, he spent 23 years of punishment. Today, after 23 years, he has been released. I welcome him on this soil and honour him," Veer Vikram Singh said.
After offering the bell, Najju repented for the crimes committed by him and appealed to the younger generation to stay away from crime and pay attention towards their future and family.
The Katra MLA said, "If any person wants to quit crime and join the mainstream of the society, then I will help him. He went to the temple with me and apologised for the crimes that he had committed. He also took a pledge to lead the life of a normal human being."
Superintendent of Police Ashok Kumar Meena said there are 15 cases registered against Najju in the district. "This includes a murder case of 1999 in which he was sentenced to life imprisonment and sent to the Bareilly Central Jail," the Superintendent of Police told Press Trust of India.
"In 1999, Najju shot dead three sub-inspectors and a policeman. Subsequently, as police mounted pressure on him, he surrendered in 1999, and since then he was in the Bareilly Central Jail," Mr Meena said.
The clout of Najju's gang prevailed in the districts of Shahjahanpur, Bareilly, Farrukhabad, Budaun, Etah and Hardoi.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)