BHOPAL: Frustrated by what he calls Madhya Pradesh police's "tantrums" over giving him suitable security cover, Vyapam scam whistleblower Ashish Chaturvedi now wants surrendered dacoits and rebels of the Chambal bad lands for his safety. To work this out, Chaturvedi has sought help from former 'big-ticket' dacoit Malkhan Singh, who struck terror in the heart of the Chambal ravines in the 1980s.On his part, Malkhan Singh, who now calls himself a 'rebel', says he is impressed by Chaturvedi's brave efforts and can take care of his security, provided the state government allots weapons and pays half the money it gives to personal security officers (PSOs) from the police department.In his seventies now, Malkhan, with an 'impressive' tally of 100 cases of dacoity, murder and kidnapping, had been quite a draw in the Chambal badlands. And now, he seems to have got a protectee in Chaturvedi."Today, I cannot stand with him all the time, but there are many like me living a deprived life since they surrendered before the police. The government failed to rehabilitate them," the ex-dacoit told TOI. "If police don't want to provide him security, we can... if the government permits and meet our demands," he added.Chaturvedi has allegedly received more than 14 death threats and three attempts made to terminate him, including one in which a particular Vyapam scam undertrial threatened to cut him "into pieces"."No matter what, I will not budge from my mission. Police have changed more than 200 PSOs in the last three years. Now they are troubling me by putting me and my family under 24X7 camera surveillance," Chaturvedi said. "My sister's wedding is due on Tuesday. I have asked the police to record the entire ceremony, so that I won't have to arrange for a professional videographer to record it," added the peeved activist.Chaturvedi, 27, a Gwalior-based social activist, is one of four key whistleblowers in the Vyapam scam. He had blew the lid on a relative of chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and seven others for their alleged role in scam.The police, however, claim that several personal security officers (PSOs) provided protection to him over the last two years, and all of them, without exception, found keeping 24x7 watch on him nearly impossible. His frequent "vanishing tricks" have earned him the nickname Mr India, said a senior police officer.Chaturvedi, however, does not agree with this. He claims policemen feel "embarrassed" riding cycles along with him.

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