Bharat Kalicharan, known as Akku Yadav, grew up in the Kasturba Nagar slum of Nagpur, Maharashtra. Details about his early life are scarce, but he emerged as a notorious figure in the slum, leading a gang involved in various criminal activities.

Beginning in 1991, Akku Yadav and his gang terrorized the residents of Kasturba Nagar through a reign of violence that lasted over a decade. Their crimes included rape, murder, home invasion, and extortion. Yadav was known to have raped over 40 women, with victims as young as 10 years old. He also committed at least three murders, often using extreme violence to instill fear. Despite numerous arrests—14 in total—he managed to evade prolonged imprisonment, largely due to bribing local police officials.

In August 2004, after a resident named Usha Narayane resisted his intimidation, the community's anger culminated in the burning of Yadav's house. Seeking protection, Yadav surrendered to the police. On August 13, 2004, during a bail hearing at the Nagpur District Court, a mob of around 200 women from Kasturba Nagar stormed the courtroom. Armed with knives and chili powder, they lynched Yadav, stabbing him over 70 times and mutilating his body. This act was seen as a desperate response to years of unchecked violence and systemic failure to protect the vulnerable.