Lawrence Bishnoi is currently lodged in Gujarat’s Sabarmati jail.
New Delhi:
The Kshatriya Karni Sena has offered a cash reward of Rs 1,11,11,111 for the “encounter” of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. This cash-for-murder reward, declared by Raj Shekhawat, the leader of the Kshatriya Karni Sena, is to avenge the death of Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi, a prominent Rajput leader who was gunned down by members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang in December last year.
In a video circulated on social media, Raj Shekhawat can be seen offering a reward to any police officer who kills the jailed gangster. Bishnoi is currently lodged in Gujarat’s Sabarmati jail under charges related to cross-border drug smuggling. Recently, the Bishnoi gang claimed responsibility for the murder of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique and has been linked to a firing incident outside Bollywood actor Salman Khan’s residence.
In December last year, Mr Gogamedi was gunned down in broad daylight, while sipping tea at his Jaipur home. Two of the men he was sitting with opened fire, killing him and leaving his security guard critically injured. One of the shooters, Naveen Singh Shekhawat, was also killed during the exchange of fire.
Shortly after the attack, Rohit Godara, a known associate of the Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldie Brar gangs, claimed responsibility for Mr Gogamedi’s murder. Godara posted on social media, “I am Rohit Godara Kapursari, brother of Goldie Brar. Today we take full responsibility for the murder of Sukhdev Gogamedi. He used to back our enemies.”
This incident sparked massive protests across Rajasthan, with Rajput groups demanding justice for their murdered leader. The assassination of Mr Gogamedi, a figure closely associated with the Rajput community and Karni Sena, ignited public outrage, particularly as it coincided with a political transition in Rajasthan, where the BJP had just ousted the Congress-led government.
In his video message, Raj Shekhawat said, “Lawrence Bishnoi is the killer of our precious gem and heritage Amar Shaheed Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi ji.”
Following Gogamedi’s murder, Rajasthan police arrested Ashok Meghwal, a key suspect, and eight others. A multi-state investigation, led by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), resulted in raids across 31 locations in Rajasthan and Haryana. The NIA teams seized a large cache of pistols, ammunition, mobile phones, SIM cards, digital video recorders (DVRs), and financial documents during the raids.
However, the mastermind behind Mr Gogamedi’s assassination, Rohit Godara, has not been traced. According to intelligence reports, Godara fled India using a fake passport under the name “Pawan Kumar.” Interpol has issued a Red Notice for Godara who is believed to be hiding somewhere in Canada. With over 32 criminal cases registered against him, including extortion and murder, Godara is one of India’s most-wanted criminals.