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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Siddaramaiah requests PM to implement price deficiency payment scheme for red chillies in Karnataka
Bengaluru (PTI): Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan requesting for implementation of price deficiency payment scheme under Market Intervention Scheme for red chillies in Karnataka.
In the letter, he expressed deep concern for the lakhs of red chilli farmers in Karnataka, particularly in the Kalyana Karnataka region, who are facing an "unprecedented crisis" due to the drastic fall in market prices.
The Chief Minister noted that the Government of India has approved the Price Deficiency Payment (PDP) scheme under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) for Red Chillies (Guntur Variety) in Andhra Pradesh, fixing the Minimum Intervention Price (MIP) at Rs 11,781 per quintal with coverage for up to 25 percent of production.
"While this is a welcome step, the distress faced by Karnataka's red chilli farmers remains unaddressed," he stated in the letter dated March 10.
Siddaramaiah highlighted that in Karnataka, the cost of production for Guntur variety of red chillies (Rain fed) has been assessed at Rs 12,675 per quintal by the Karnataka Agricultural Price Commission.
"However, farmers are forced to sell their produce at distress prices as low as Rs 8,300 per quintal in markets like Sindhanur. This not only results in massive financial losses but also threatens their very survival," he said.
The Chief Minister emphasised that the Kalyana Karnataka region, one of the most backward and drought-prone areas in the country, is home to thousands of small and marginal farmers dependent on red chilli cultivation.
"The continued neglect of their plight will only deepen the economic distress and push many farmers into a debt crisis. It is therefore imperative that the Union Government extends the Price Deficiency Payment scheme under the Market Intervention Scheme to Karnataka, ensuring parity with Andhra Pradesh," he said.
In addition, Siddaramaiah strongly urged certain modification to the existing scheme to better serve farmers.
The CM urged the Centre to increase MIP to Rs 13,500 per quintal.
"The current MIP of Rs 11,781 per quintal is inadequate considering the rising input costs and the significantly higher cost of production in Karnataka," he said.
"Expand coverage to at least 75 percent of production. Restricting the coverage to just 25 percent of production will leave a large number of farmers unprotected. A minimum of 75 percent coverage is necessary to provide meaningful relief," he said.
Siddaramaiah urged the Union Government to bear the full burden of the price deficiency payment.
According to him, as per the existing scheme, the financial burden is shared between the Centre and State in a 50:50 ratio. The prices of red chillies are largely dependent on the Union Government's domestic and export policies which directly influence market stability and farmer earnings.
"Therefore, we request the Union Government to bear the full amount of the price deficiency payment to ensure fair compensation for farmers," he said.
Siddaramaiah said the red chilli farmers of Karnataka deserve the same level of support that their counterparts in Andhra Pradesh are receiving.
"A fair and just intervention by the Union Government at this crucial moment will not only provide immediate relief but will also reaffirm the Centre's commitment to the welfare of farmers across the country, irrespective of the state they belong to," he added.
