New Delhi: In a major breakthrough, the sleuths of the Rajasthan police along with the Delhi police officials arrested three men, including two shooters, from Chandigarh for their alleged role in the killing of Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena chief Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi.
The crime branch of the Delhi police, in a joint operation with the special investigation team (SIT) of the Rajasthan police, arrested the alleged shooters -- Rohit Rathore and Nitin Fauji -- from Chandigarh's Sector 22. Their associate Udham Singh, who accompanied them, was also nabbed.
Rathore is a resident of Rajasthan's Jaipur. Fauji, who hails from Haryana's Mahendragarh, is a lance naik in the Army. The police had earlier announced a cash reward of '5 lakhs for information leading to their arrests.
The accused, arrested from outside a Chandigarh hotel, were taken to Jaipur’s Sodala police station amid tight security.
Hours after the arrest, the Chandigarh police claimed on Sunday they had no information about where the two accused were arrested from.
Rajasthan ADG (crime) Dinesh M.N., who is also heading the 11-member SIT, said Fauji and Rathore were hiding in Chandigarh. While evading arrest, the accused stayed in the hotel on fake IDs and were planning to go abroad.
"The Rajasthan SIT and the Delhi police caught the accused late on Saturday," he added.
Fauji and Rathore, along with their associate Naveen Shekhawat, through whom they had secured access to Gogamedi's residence, went to the Karni Sena chief's house in Jaipur's Shyam Nagar area on December 5.
After talking to him for a few minutes, the shooters opened fire at Gogamedi in his living room, leaving him dead. They also shot Shekhawat dead. Gogamedi's private security guard sustained bullet injuries in the incident.
The accused had gone to Gogamedi's house in a rented SUV that was driven by Shekhawat. While fleeing, they shot at a scooty driver and snatched the two-wheeler.
Jaipur police commissioner Biju George Joseph said after the killings, the shooters went to Deedwana in a Rajasthan Roadways bus and took a taxi for Sujangarh, from where they went to Dharuhera in Haryana. They then went to Rewari in a taxi from Dharuhera and took a train to reach Hisar, where they met Udham. The trio then went to Manali in a taxi and stayed in a hotel for two days before going to Chandigarh, Mr Joseph said.
The Jaipur police commissioners said the Haryana police and the Delhi police assisted the Rajasthan police in the search operation. Inputs were also exchanged with the Punjab police.
Gangster Rohit Godara, linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, had claimed responsibility for this killing on Facebook, saying the Karni Sena chief was backing his enemies.
When asked about the motive behind Gogamedi's killing, Mr Joseph said there is no clarity on it and anything concrete can only be said after the accused are interrogated.
On the role of Shekhawat, also killed by the accused, the CP said he too was involved in Gogamedi's killing.
"The shooters and their facilitators have been arrested in the first phase. The next phase is about reaching out to the mastermind and conspirators," Mr Joseph said, adding that the Rajasthan police will complete the task before the case is handed over to the National Investigation Agency.
Asked about the reasons why security was not provided to Gogamedi despite intelligence inputs about the attack, the Jaipur CP said a judicial inquiry has been ordered.
Earlier on Saturday, the Jaipur police arrested a man for allegedly helping Fauji. He was produced before a magistrate, who remanded him in police custody.
On the fateful day, Fauji was carrying two pistols and as many magazines with a total of 35 rounds, while Rathore had a pistol and a magazine with 13 rounds.
Fauji was visiting his home in Mahendragarh on a two-day leave on November 7. During his stay there, he and two of his friends -- Bhawani Singh and Rahul Kothal -- got involved in a scuffle with one Anupam Soni and others in Khudana village.
Bhawani had an old dispute with Soni. Fauji, Bhawani and Kothal had gone for a settlement of the dispute when the scuffle broke out and police had to arrive at the spot. The trio fled the scene after opening fire on the Haryana police, following which a case was registered. Meanwhile, the trio reached Hisar to evade arrest and their accommodation was arranged by Udham.
Bhawani was already in touch with Godara. He introduced Fauji to Godara over the phone and prepared him to execute Gogamedi's killing.
He sent Fauji to Jaipur in a taxi on November 28. Fauji met Rathore on the Ajmer road in Jaipur on December 5. They were taken to Gogamedi's house by Shekhawat in a Scorpio car.
Mr Joseph said the gang that arranged the weapons for the shooters has been identified and a separate investigation is being conducted.
