Karni Sena chief murder: 2 cops suspended, protest called off
Two Rajasthan Police personnel were suspended on Wednesday, a day after Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena president Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi was shot dead in his Jaipur residence. The suspended personnel are Station House Officer (SHO) Manish Gupta and Constable Mahesh of Shyam Nagar Police Station. Gogamedi's wife, Sheela Shekhawat urged protesters to call off demonstrations and lodged an FIR in the case mentioning outgoing Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Rajasthan's director general of police (DGP).
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Armed assailants entered Gogamedi's house on the pretext of giving him a wedding invitation and then shot him dead. While one of the assailants was shot down, two others fled away. The police identified the two accused. Rohit Godara, of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, took responsibility for the murder. The police said he had a land dispute with Gogamedi. Members of Karni Sena splinter outfits and the Rajput community resorted to violent protests across Rajasthan, demanding action against the culprits.
Police promise to nab culprits within 72 hours
Gogamedi's wife said the police gave her a written assurance that the culprits would be arrested within 72 hours. Following this, the protests were called off. "Your sister will call you again, if required, and you will have to come out and support me. I request you all to come and pay your last respects tomorrow," she said. She requested people to join the last rites of her husband in his ancestral village of Gogamedi in Hanumangarh district.
Gogamedi's last rites to be performed today
Long chain of foreign terrorists behind murder: Gogamedi's wife
Gogamedi's wife said the Ashok Gehlot government didn't provide him with adequate security. She also alleged that a "long chain of foreign terrorists" was behind the murder. To prevent any disturbances during Gogamedi's funeral, the Central Armed Police Force has been deployed in Jaipur and other areas of Rajasthan. The police said that the Rapid Action Force is stationed at sensitive locations in the city. A retired high court judge will investigate the events leading up to Gogamedi's murder.
Family of accused Nitin Fauji claims no contact for weeks
The accused were identified as Rohit Rathore of Rajasthan's Nagaur and Nitin Fauji of Haryana's Mahendragarh. Fauji has reportedly been out of contact with his family for several weeks. Nitin's father said that his son went to repair his car on November 9 and hasn't been heard from since. A former classmate described Nitin as a good student who later chose to join the Army. It was reported that Fauji, posted in Alwar, had come home on a two-day leave.
Gangster Godara demanded Rs. 1 crore from businessman
In October, Godara also demanded Rs. 1 crore from former local councilor and businessman Rakesh Kumar. Kumar claimed he received three threatening phone calls from Godara in one month and requested police protection, but was only assigned one constable. Gogamedi earlier received threats from Sampat Nehra of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, who is lodged in Punjab's Bathinda jail. Reportedly, the Punjab Police alerted Rajasthan Police in March about Nehra's plan to kill Gogamedi to trigger "religiously motivated riots" in Rajasthan.