Patna: Altogether 44 notorious gangsters lodged in Beur Central Jail in Patna are likely to be shifted to other jails to prevent them from carrying out extortion rackets and other crimes of serious nature from behind the bars.

Deputy inspector-general (central range) Rajesh Kumar sent a proposal to the Patna district magistrate on Saturday, requesting him to ensure that the 44 criminals who were facing charges of kidnapping for ransom, murder, extortion and robbery, be transferred to jails outside Patna.

The proposal contained names of hardened criminals and their antecedents. The list was prepared on the basis of complaints received against them and the call detail records of cellphones seized either from the jail or their associates.

Bindu Singh, a Border Security Force (BSF) deserter, topped the list. At least 25 cases were pending against Bindu in different police stations of Patna and Jehanabad districts in Bihar and Bokaro Steel City in Jharkhand. A resident of Mokar Daulatpur in Jehanabad district, Bindu, is alleged to have been running an extortion racket from behind the bars.

Ajay Kanhu, alias Ajay Kanu, alias Ajay Kumar, is ranked second after Bindu. Ajay is allegedly involved in at least 11 incidents of Maoist violence in Jehanabad and Arwal districts. He was accused of plotting the Jehanabad jail break incident of November 2005.

Ritlal Yadav, an RJD MLC, is facing charges of murder, extortion and cases under the Arms Act.

A resident of Kothwa village near Danapur in Patna district, Ritlal, is involved in 16 criminal cases lodged with Khagaul police station in Patna rural.

Similarly, Rajiv Gope, alias Rajiv Yadav, a resident of Moldiyartola under the jurisdiction of Mokama police station and Anil Yadav, alias Anil Tiger, a resident of Hulaschak village under the jurisdiction of Dhanarua police station, are facing 19 and 19 criminal cases, respectively.

The names of Vikas Singh alias Vicky, Niraj Singh, Sumant Kumar alias Vijay Sah, Nitish Kumar alias Bittu and Kundan Singh also figured in the list. Police sources said Vikas was accused of killing an RJD leader, Dina Gope, alias Dina Yadav, in Gardaniabgh police station area of Patna in May.

"Police have collected evidence, which shows these criminals were operating from jail," DIG Kumar said. "They have been carrying out their operations either with the help of cellphones or through associates who meet them in jail."