Patna, March 21: Bhagar Yadav, considered to be the king of jungle raj in old Champaran and Saran region of north Bihar a few years ago, died at the divisional jail at Bettiah in West Champaran on Saturday (holika dahan day).

It could be fear or love but over 2,000 people took part in Yadav’s funeral at his native village Balua Rampurva, about eight kilometre south-west of Bettiah town, the district headquarters of West Champaran.

The funeral was conducted under tight security arrangements.

Yadav’s son Amar Yadav, district board member, lit the pyre. With his death a chapter of crime history in north Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh came to an end. Yadav was the undisputed don from the region for a long time.

Bettiah superintendent of police Nishant Kumar Tiwary said: “Over 125 cases of murder, kidnapping for ransom and dacoity are lodged in East Champaran and West Champaran and Gopalganj districts of Bihar, Deoria and Kushi Nagar districts of Uttar Pradesh.”

He said: “For more than two decades he dictated the history of east and west Champaran.”

He said: “No man or woman could be elected to the Assembly without getting his blessings.”

One of his brothers Sattan Yadav got elected in 1995 Assembly elections as an Independent from Nautan Assembly constituency.

His son Amar Yadav was elected as chairman of West Champaran district board after the 2001 panchayat elections.

Even his daughter-in-law Renu Devi was elected as block pramukh from Bairia in West Champaran.

The police said it was because of his terror that Champaran had once acquired the dubious distinction of “mini chambal” of Bihar.

West Champaran district magistrate Sridhar Cheruvelu said: “Yadav complained of pain in his chest and was admitted at the MJK hospital where he died during treatment.”

He said: “Yadav died of cardiac arrest. The body was handed over to the family members after conducting a post-mortem.”

The clout of Yadav could be gauged from the fact that the residents of the area did not dare report any incident to the local police station without his prior approval.

The matter was first settled at Babuaji’s darbar (Yadav was popularly known as Babuaji in Champaran), said a villager.

Only a few complaints reached the police station or the court, recalled another resident. He took command of the 25-30 member gang of dacoits soon after his brother Laxman Yadav’s death in 1981.