He used to fight enemies of the nation on the country’s borders. Five years on, his name figured on most wanted list of gangsters in north Bihar.

His name spelt terror among businessmen and professionals in the region.

Fauji Singh, alias Shashi Bhushan Singh, a resident of Muzaffarpur, was arrested from Raxaul on the India-Nepal border in East Champaran district on Friday. Fifteen SIM cards, including five of a Nepal-based cellular company, two country-made weapons and seven live cartridges were seized from him.

Police said Fauji (35) earlier served as a soldier in the army. But he fell in bad company and reportedly committed a dacoity in a rural bank at Sugauli in East Champaran district in 2009. Thereafter, he never looked back and slowly graduated in crime.

East Champaran superintendent of police (SP) Vinay Kumar said at least 20 cases of bank dacoity, loot, murder and extortion were pending against Fauji in East Champaran, West Champaran, Muzaffarpur and Gopalganj districts in north Bihar.

The SP said Fauji’s name figured among the 10 most wanted criminals of the region. “He is the most dreaded gangster after Santosh Jha of Sheohar and Bablu Dubey of East Champaran. While Jha is still absconding, Dubey was arrested from Nepal a few months ago,” the SP told The Telegraph.

He said like Jha and Dubey, Fauji too operated from Nepal. The SP said Fauji had made extortion calls to many doctors and businessmen of the district, who later approached the police for protection.

Describing Fauji’s arrest as a big catch for the district police, the SP said he and Dubey would be put on speedy trial. “We have clinching evidence to prove his proximity with extortionists, adding that Fauji’s close aide, Rishi, of Sugauli, was also arrested.

During interrogation, Fauji admitted his involvement in a double murder at Chakia in East Champaran. He admitted his involvement in the killing of contractor Alind Roy, at Bettiah in West Champaran. He also confessed to having murdered Sudhir Singh and Pankaj Singh, both of Muzaffarpur, an investigating officer said. The SP said: “We have found the cellphone numbers of people, who were under the surveillance of the gang, written on currency notes seized from Rishi. Investigating officials are scrutinising the call records of those numbers.”

Fauji’s wife is a teacher in a government school at Muzaffarpur. “We have sent teams to Muzaffarpur and Gopalganj districts to collect details of the cases lodged against Fauji,” Kumar said, adding that the police officials have also been told to gather information about his ill-gotten assets.

Sources said at least 12 medical practitioners, government officials and businessmen of East Champaran had received extortion threats from Fauji’s 15-member gang over the past year.