Did Rajasthan ignore tip-off on plot to kill Karni Sena's Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi?

Rajasthan’s Rajput community is in turmoil after Rastriya Rajput Karni Sena chief Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi was shot dead by unidentified assailants at his home in Jaipur’s Mansarovar on Tuesday. Rohit Godara, a member of Lawrence Bishnoi gang , has claimed responsibility for the murder on Facebook. In the latest development in the case, Gogamedi’s wife filed an FIR on Wednesday alleging that outgoing Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s administration ignored repeated alerts by the state anti-terrorism squad and Punjab Police about threats to her husband’s life. According to her, the threat was a result of his “social work at the national and international level.” The claims have sparked a wave of protest that is spreading through at least 11 state districts, reported The Times of India. The allegations in the FIR In the first information report (FIR) filed after the murder, his wife, Sheela Shekhawat claimed that the Punjab Police had written to the Rajasthan Director General of Police Umesh Mishra in February regarding a plot to kill the Karni Sena chief. The Jaipur Anti-Terror Squad had also shared a similar input. Even after receiving these inputs, she claimed that Mishra and the then-Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot refused to provide Gogamedi with security cover. According to The Times of India, the alert read, “According to an input, gangster Sampat Nehra of the Bishnoi gang, who is currently lodged in Central Jail, Bathinda, plans to kill Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi, president of the Rajput community group ‘Shree Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena’, in order to incite religiously motivated riots in the state of Rajasthan.” It was also reported to Rajasthan Police that Nehra might have provided an AK-47 gun for the “mission.” The information corresponds with a Facebook post made by fugitive Canada-based gangster Godara, who took credit for Gogamedi’s murder. Shekhwat said she had read about the involvement of Godara, who is hiding in Canada and Lawrence Bishnoi in her husband’s killing, while alleged that many “foreign terrorists” were involved in the crime and Gogamedi had spoken of threats from them several times. Two police officers, one of whom was the station house officer (SHO) of the Shyam Nagar police station, were suspended after the FIR was filed, according to News18. Speaking to the reporters, Sheela Shekhawat said they have been told the accused will face consequences within 72 hours. The gangster demanded money from Gurugram businessman According to News18, police said Godara had lately demanded Rs one crore in extortion from a businessman and a former local councillor. No progress was made in the case despite businessman Rakesh Kumar’s formal complaint with the police in Bilaspur. Kumar, who owns a fuel station, claims that he was threatened by Godara on the phone three times in a month, which causes anxiety at home, especially after Gogamedi’s death. The Bilaspur Khurd village resident claimed he asked the police for security but was only given one constable. The high-profile murder As per NDTV, Gogamedi , whose split from the Karni Sena which led protests against the movie Padmaavat, was shot dead at point-blank range after drinking tea with the men. Gogamedi formed Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena after he was expelled from Sri Rajput Karni Sena in 2015 over differences with its founder Lokendra Singh Kalvi. The three shooters also killed Naveen Shekhawat, the man who apparently assisted them in avoiding a frisking by Gogamedi’s security personnel. Two of them are on the run and one was dead. The names of the two shooters who are on the run are Nitin Fauji and Rohit Rathore. Nitin Fauji, a former soldier from Mahendergarh, Haryana, has only one “firing case” against him, and Rohit Singh Shekhawat, a resident of Jaipur, was arrested in 2017 for allegedly raping a minor, as per TOI. The Karni Sena chief was contacted by accused Naveen Shekhawat, Rohit Rathore, and Nitin Fauji under the guise of presenting a marriage card, according to India Today sources. Not long after the Karni Sena chief’s death, Godara claimed responsibility for the murder. The Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena chief was shot by Godara’s men because, according to a top police officer handling the case, there was “indeed” a rivalry between Godara and Gogamedi, as per The Print. Police are also investigating whether Gogamedi’s murder was caused by an inter-gang conflict as he had also been mentioned in a number of criminal cases. In an effort to track down the gunmen, the police have established several teams and offered rewards of up to Rs five lakh for any information that results in their capture. In addition, a special investigation team has been established by the director general of police. Meanwhile, at 7 am on Thursday, the Karni Sena chief’s mortal remains were open for public inspection at Rajput Sabha Bhawan in Jaipur. At roughly 2 pm, his final rites will be held in his hometown of Gogamedi.