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It is a gangland killing that will be talked about for years in Rajasthan. SriRashtriya Rajput Karni Sena president Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi was shot dead in the living room of his house in Jaipur on Tuesday, 5 December by three armed men.
The men entered Gogamedi's house in Jaipur's Shyam Nagar area pretending to be common people who wanted to meet him. They even had tea with the Karni Sena leader before they shot him dead.
Jaipur Police Commissioner Biju George Joseph told reporters:
"Three men went to Gogamedi's house and told his security guards that they wanted to meet him. The guards took them inside and the men talked to Gogamedi for 10 minutes before opening fire at him."
While one of the assailants, who was identified as Naveen Singh Shekhawat, died in the exchange of fire, the remaining two managed to flee on a scooty they snatched from a person outside Gogamedi's house, he said.
CCTV images reveal that Gogamedi was shot multiple times.
According to the police, one of the men was killed in retaliatory firing and one of Gogamedi's security guards sustained bullet injuries.
In a purported Facebook post, gangster Rohit Godara, an associate of criminal kingpins Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar, has claimed responsibility for the murder.
Who Was Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi?
Gogamedi had been associated with the Karni Sena since 2013. However, he was expelled in 2015 over alleged differences with founder Lokendra Singh Kalvi.
Gogamedi hit the headlines in 2017 when he led the protests against Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film Padmaavat, alleging that it had hurt Rajput sentiments.
Gogamedi's associates claim that he had been receiving threats from gangsters for some years now.
Rohit Godara 'Claims Responsibility'. Who is He?
In a purported Facebook post, gangster Rohit Godara claimed responsibility for Gogamedi's killing.
In the post, the account claiming to be Godara said that they killed Gogamedi because he was "working with their enemies".
Godara is a gangster associated with the gang headed by Lawrence Bishnoi and his right-hand man Goldy Brar. They are accused of carrying out the assassination of popular Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala in May 2022.
However, despite his association with them, Godara also has a gang of his own. Hailing from Bikaner, Rohit Godara is said to be in his late 20s. The first murder case against him was in 2010.
In December 2022, Godara is alleged to have carried out the killing of gang leader Raju Theth. After Theth's killing, the same account on Facebook posted taking responsibility for the killing.
Interestingly, Gogamedi had vociferously condemned Theth's killing and said, "It is tragic that such a killing has take place. I don't think it should matter whether the person killed was a gangster or common person. Also many politicians are bigger history-sheeters than him," he had said.
Godara is alleged to have been involved in the killing of Punjab-based history-sheeter Manpreet Singh Manna in December 2019. Bishnoi's gang accuse Manna of providing information to the police, leading to the encounter of their gang-member Ankit Bhadu. He is also accused of killing a local BJP leader in Sardarshahr.
Godara's name came up in connection with the Sidhu Moose Wala murder case. According to some reports, he is said to have arranged for the vehicle used in the killing, from Rajasthan.
Despite the increasing scrutiny around his activities following Moose Wala's murder, Godara has only become more active. He is said to have threatened a Jaipur-based businessman over WhatsApp, demanding Rs 17 crore 'protection money'. He has been underground since then.
BJP Reacts, Gogamedi's Supporters Demand Action
Soon after the news of the attack on Gogamedi broke, his supporters and members of the Rajput community started reaching his house and the hospital where he was taken.
Gogamedi's supporters blocked the Shipra Path road outside the hospital in Jaipur where he was rushed after the attack and demanded that the accused be arrested immediately.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat alleged that Gogamedi was not given adequate security by the Congress government in Rajasthan.
"After forming the government in Rajasthan, we will ensure peace and calm in the state. I assure you that those involved in this incident will not be spared. I appeal to the public to maintain peace," he said.
Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal spoke in a similar vein, pinning the blame on the Ashok Gehlot administration. "This incident is condemnable. This is the result of complete deterioration of law and order in Rajasthan under Congress' rule," he said.
The BJP's Vasundhara Raje called the incident "unfortunate" and expressed her condolences with Gogamedi's family. "The murder of Shri Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi, National President of Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena, is unfortunate. May God rest his soul in peace and provide strength to the bereaved family," she said.
On the other hand, BJP leader Diya Kumari called for the death penalty for the accused. "I spoke to the Rajasthan DGP and Police Commissioner yesterday. Arrests have also been made but immediate action should be taken. The matter should be taken up before a fast court track court and they should be hanged," she told news agency ANI.
Kumari further alleged laxity on the part of the Congress-led government in the state, arguing that this incident could have been avoided.
"The entire state of Rajasthan is stunned and sad. This was avoidable. There is Congress government in Rajasthan. He was continuously receiving threats and he had sought enhanced security but it wasn't done. This was the responsibility of the state government but we know their attitude. Law & order is zero in Rajasthan," she said.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Pratap Singh Khachariyawas called for action against the accused.
"This is a very serious matter. Now the time has come that the police should immediately encounter such criminals. The government should take immediate action against the officers from whom Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi had sought security," he said.
(With inputs from Press Trust of India and ANI.)
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