Five accused of killing gangster Raju Theht nabbed in Rajasthan
Sikar (PTI): Five persons have been nabbed for their alleged involvement in the killing of gangster Raju Theht in a hail of bullets at the gate of his house in Sikar district of Rajasthan, a police official said.
Theht was shot dead on Saturday. A man, Tarachand Kadwasara, who had gone to meet his daughter studying in a coaching institute there was also hit by bullets and died. The accused fired at him thinking that he was Theth's aide.
They snatched the keys of Kadwasara's car and escaped, police said.
According to the police, Theth, who had more than 30 criminal cases against him, had a rivalry with the dreaded criminal Anandpal Singh, killed in a police encounter in June 2017. Out on bail, he used to live a luxurious life and had political ambitions.
Director General of Police (DGP) Umesh Mishra said in Jaipur that the police have caught Sikar residents Manish Jat and Vikram Gurjar, and Haryana's Satish Kumhar, Jatin Meghwal and Navin Meghwal. The police personnel who caught the accused will be rewarded, the police chief said.
In a tweet, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said, "Five accused of yesterday's murder case in Sikar have been arrested along with recovery of their weapons and vehicles. Speedy trial of all these accused will be ensured by the court to give them severe punishment at the earliest."
After Theht was shot dead on Saturday, a man named Rohit Godara, who introduced himself as a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang on Facebook, claimed responsibility for the killing, saying it was to avenge the death of Anandpal Singh and Balbir Banuda.
Banuda, a member of the Anandpal gang, was killed in a gang war in Bikaner jail in July 2014 and it was alleged that Theth was behind the murder. The Facebook post was later deleted.
However, Godara shared another post on Facebook at night, saying Theth was his enemy and he has no regrets about his killing but apologised to the family of Kadwasara, a farmer from Nagaur district, and his community.
He also said that he will try to support Kadwasara's family in every possible manner.
A CCTV footage has surfaced on the Internet in which the accused are seen present with Theth at the gate of his house. Shortly after, a tractor-trolley also reached in front of the house and it was stranded when the assailants opened fire at Theth. Officials suspect that the tractor driver was also involved in the crime.
In another video clip, the accused were seen fleeing after killing Theth.
Hours after the murder, a speeding car, believed to be that of the accused, was spotted in Jhunjhunu district by some locals who claimed that the occupants opened fire at some labourers repairing the road to get the way cleared, police said.
Family members and relatives of Theht and Kadwasara sat on dharna in front of the mortuary of the district hospital in Sikar on Saturday demanding the arrest of the accused. Congress MLA Mukesh Bhakar from Ladnu in Nagaur was also present at the dharna.
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Ex-VC objects to RSS event at Gujarat Vidyapith
Ahmedabad, Dec 19: Gandhian scholar and a former Vice Chancellor of Gujarat Vidyapith, Sudarshan Iyenger, has objected to an upcoming event of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) at Gujarat Vidyapith here.
While Iyengar claimed that the right-wing organisation chose the venue to show its dominance, the RSS said the subjects to be discussed at the event were aligned with Mahatma Gandhi's ideology.
The varsity, on the other hand, said it rents out a part of its premises for events, and it has nothing to do with events organised by outside organisations.
Gujarat Vidyapith, located in Ahmedabad city, was set up by Mahatma Gandhi in 1920 and has the status of deemed university.
On December 22, the Gujarat RSS has organised `Sajjan Shakti Sangam' where prominent citizens from different walks of life will gather at Gujarat Vidyapith to deliberate on social harmony, environmental conservation and use of locally made products, among other topics.
Iyenger said having an RSS event at Gujarat Vidyapith was "not proper".
"It is a known fact that the ideology of RSS is totally opposite to the Gandhian philosophy. There are many places where the RSS could have organised this event. Yet, just to prove that Gujarat Vidyapith is now under their dominance, they are organising this event in this institute founded by Gandhi ji," he told PTI when contacted for a comment on the row.
Iyenger was vice chancellor of the Vidyapith from 2005 to 2014. He also served as a trustee of the institution from 2000 to 2022.
No RSS event was held on the varsity premises during his tenure as trustee and VC, he further said.
"Is it that the RSS will now start following Gandhi ji's ideology by organising its event at the Vidyapith? It does not seem so. It is evident they want to prove their dominance by way of this event," said Iyenger.
In a statement, the university said the premises are rented out to outsiders for social and academic activities.
"The university is not associated with the events organised on its premises by outsiders," it added.
State RSS spokesperson Vijay Thakar said it was an unnecessary controversy.
"On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of RSS, we are organising such events in every district. We had organised such events at many places and the Vidyapith is like any other venue. In the past, we had organised an event at a cafe run by Navajivan Trust, which was also founded by Gandhi ji," he noted.
"The subjects on which deliberations will take place at the event are in line with Mahatma Gandhi's ideology, such as social harmony and encouraging the use of domestic or Swadeshi products. So how is this event against Gandhi ji's values?" he added.
