On 5 December 2023, Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi, national president of the Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena, was shot dead in the living room of his home in Jaipur's Shyam Nagar, two days after the Congress lost the Rajasthan assembly election. A gangster claimed responsibility, and on 6 December a bandh called by Rajput groups shut markets, blocked highways and stopped trains across Rajasthan. The National Investigation Agency took over the case, charge-sheeted 12 people in June 2024, and a special court in Jaipur framed charges against eight of them in December 2025.
Key takeaways
- Karni Sena chief Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi was shot dead at his Jaipur home on 5 December 2023; gangster Rohit Godara claimed responsibility on Facebook.
- A Rajput bandh on 6 December shut markets across Rajasthan; protesters blocked highways and stopped five trains, per PTI and railway officials.
- His widow's FIR alleged that outgoing CM Ashok Gehlot and the DGP ignored threat warnings and denied him security.
- The NIA took over on 11 December 2023 and charge-sheeted 12 people in June 2024; four, including Godara and Goldy Brar, were absconding.
- A special NIA court framed charges against eight accused in December 2025; the Karni Sena protested again in Jaipur in March 2026.
Who Gogamedi was
Gogamedi, from Bhadra in Hanumangarh district, founded the Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena in 2015 after he was expelled from Lokendra Singh Kalvi's Shri Rajput Kalvi Sena, according to Newslaundry. He gained national attention in 2017 for slapping filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali on the set of Padmaavat Newslaundry.
Deccan Herald reported that he had sought police security at least three times after receiving death threats, and also that he was a history-sheeter with at least 30 criminal cases against him Deccan Herald Deccan Herald.
The killing on 5 December
On the afternoon of 5 December 2023, the attackers entered Gogamedi's house in Shyam Nagar on the pretext of meeting him and opened fire after talking for a few minutes, police said. CCTV footage from the house showed two armed men shooting at him while his associates took cover Scroll Tribune/PTI.
A third man, Naveen Singh Shekhawat, who ran a cloth shop and had brought the two men to the house, also died. Police accounts of his death changed. On the day, Jaipur Police Commissioner Biju George Joseph described him as an assailant killed in retaliatory firing Scroll. By 10 December police said the shooters had killed him themselves Tribune/PTI. His father told PTI his son was being falsely implicated National Herald/PTI.
Two others were injured. One of them, Ajeet Singh, later died, so the NIA counts three people killed in the attack Tribune/PTI Tribune/PTI.
Soon after, gangster Rohit Godara claimed responsibility in a Facebook post, saying Gogamedi had been "backing" his enemies Claim · Rohit Godara Tribune/PTI. DGP Umesh Mishra said: "Rohit Godara gang has taken responsibility for the murder, they will be arrested soon" Business Standard.
The bandh and road blockades on 6 December
Supporters gathered outside the Metro Mass Hospital in Mansarovar, where the body was kept, and gave a call for a statewide bandh Deccan Herald. On 6 December markets stayed shut in Jaipur, Kota, Bundi, Ajmer, Sawai Madhopur, Chittorgarh, Jhalawar, Baran and other districts, PTI reported. There was no public transport in Jaipur, and a mass rally was held in Udaipur National Herald/PTI.
- Roads: Protesters blocked the 200-foot bypass in Jaipur that leads to Delhi, causing a long jam, and Khatipura road. The state roadways corporation stopped buses on many highways National Herald/PTI.
- Trains: North Western Railway's chief spokesperson said protesters stopped five trains on the Bhilwara and Jaipur route, delaying them by 16 to 54 minutes National Herald/PTI.
- Jaipur: Deccan Herald reported burnt tyres and shut markets at Chandpol, Kishanpol, MI Road and Sodala Deccan Herald. PTI reported stone pelting at Gurjar ki Thadi, which police dispersed, and a protest outside the BJP office National Herald/PTI.
- Jodhpur: Accounts differ. PTI said protests in Jodhpur and Udaipur "remained peaceful". Deccan Herald reported that in Jodhpur protesters went into the railway station and ransacked some shops Tribune/PTI Deccan Herald.
The hospital sit-in and the demands
Mahipal Singh Makrana, national president of the Shri Rajput Karni Sena, demanded the removal of the DGP. He told PTI: "There was intelligence input about the murder of Sukhdev Gogamedi from Punjab Police but the Rajasthan Police did not provide him security. This is a clear failure of the police." Supporters demanded Rs 11 crore in compensation for the family Tribune/PTI.
On the evening of 6 December, community leaders including former MLA Manoj Nyangli said the administration had agreed to an NIA probe and protection for the family and eyewitnesses. Sheela Shekhawat at first asked people not to leave until the accused were killed in an "encounter". Later the family agreed to end the dharna. She said they had been given a written assurance that the accused would be arrested within 72 hours and negligent police officers suspended National Herald/PTI. DCP (East) Yogesh Goyal said it had been decided to suspend the Shyam Nagar SHO and other policemen found negligent National Herald/PTI.
Gogamedi was cremated in his village in Bhadra on 7 December before thousands of people Deccan Herald.
The widow's FIR and the allegations against police
Sheela Shekhawat's FIR at Shyam Nagar police station named Nitin Fauji and Rohit Rathore as accused. She said her husband had told Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and the DGP in three letters that his life was under threat. She alleged that Punjab Police had sent the Rajasthan Police intelligence about a plot to attack him, but the DGP "deliberately" did not give him security Claim · Sheela Shekhawat National Herald/PTI Deccan Herald.
No public response from Gehlot or the DGP to these allegations was found. Neither was named as an accused in the NIA chargesheet Tribune/PTI.
How the outgoing and incoming governments responded
The BJP had won the election declared on 3 December, but the Congress was still in office. Gehlot posted on X that the murder was "very sad" Business Standard. DGP Umesh Mishra formed a Special Investigation Team supervised by ADG (Crime) Dinesh MN, which grew to 11 members, and announced a Rs 5 lakh reward Tribune/PTI Tribune/PTI. Deccan Herald reported that the SIT would be led by Additional Commissioner Kailash Chand Bishnoi Deccan Herald.
Governor Kalraj Mishra spoke to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and summoned the state's top officials National Herald/PTI.
The two parties blamed each other. Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said "gang wars have flourished" since the Gehlot government took office and that security "was not provided at the level at which it should have been provided". Siasat/PTI. BJP MLA-elect Balmukund Acharya joined the sit-in and said "Ashok Gehlot is responsible for this incident" Business Standard. Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said criminals had grown bolder once it was known the BJP was coming to power, and Rajeev Shukla said "as soon as it left, the problem has started" Siasat/PTI.
Bhajan Lal Sharma was sworn in as BJP chief minister on 15 December 2023. That night he said an anti-gangster task force led by an ADG-level officer would be set up to control organised crime Deccan Herald/PTI.
Timeline
Shooting in Shyam Nagar
Gogamedi and Naveen Shekhawat killed Scroll.
Rajasthan bandh, SIT formed
Shutdowns and blockades; dharna ends at night National Herald/PTI.
Shooters caught in Chandigarh
Rathore, Fauji and Udham Singh held Tribune/PTI.
NIA takes over
Case re-registered on a Home Ministry order ETV Bharat.
Chargesheet filed
12 accused named Outlook.
Charges framed
Trial begins against eight ETV Bharat.
Arrests and the NIA chargesheet
Jaipur police said Rs 5,98,500 routed through a student's bank account in November 2023 was the advance for the killing, arranged by wanted arms supplier Mahendra Kumar and Pooja Saini, whom they arrested Patrika.
The NIA filed its chargesheet before the special NIA court in Jaipur on 5 June 2024. It said Godara was the "mastermind" who hatched the conspiracy with Virendra Charan and Goldy Brar, a Canada-based gangster designated a terrorist under the UAPA. It said both later used the killing to extort money NIA's position. Eight accused were under arrest. Four were absconding: Mahendra Kumar, Rohit Godara (Ravataram Swami), Virendra Charan and Goldy Brar (Satwinder Singh) Tribune/PTI Outlook. PTI had reported nine arrests by January 2024, so the published figures differ by one Tribune/PTI.
Both accounts
Family and Karni Sena account
The family and Rajput groups say Gogamedi had warned of threats, Punjab Police had passed on intelligence, and the state still denied him security Claim · Sheela Shekhawat, Mahipal Singh Makrana. By 2026 they said the NIA had done nothing in more than two years, that the accused gangsters were still running extortion rackets, and that the BJP government had not kept its promises on compensation, a job and security Claim · Karni Sena Patrika ETV Bharat.
Police and government account
Police caught the two shooters within four days, and the DCP (East) said the Shyam Nagar SHO and other negligent officers would be suspended. The NIA says it traced the conspiracy to a "terrorist-gangster syndicate", arrested eight people and charge-sheeted 12 Government's position Tribune/PTI. The state's Anti Gangster Task Force has continued to arrest members of the Godara and Charan gangs, including six arrested in the Gogamedi area of Hanumangarh in October 2025 Tribune.
Court developments, 2024 to 2026
- Bail: On 4 February 2025 the special NIA court rejected Pooja Saini's second bail plea. She is accused of sheltering and looking after a shooter, and her first plea had been rejected on 10 October 2024. Presiding officer Rekha Bhargava said circumstances had not changed ETV Bharat.
- Jail hunger strike: Rohit Rathore, held in the Sewar central jail in Bharatpur, went on hunger strike from 31 January 2025 demanding a transfer for his safety. He ended it after 23 days, according to the jail superintendent ETV Bharat.
- Charges framed: In December 2025 the special court framed charges under the IPC, Arms Act and UAPA against Rohit Rathore, Nitin Fauji, Pooja Saini, Ashok Kumar, Bhawani Singh, Udham Singh, Rahul and Ramveer. They denied the charges and asked for trial, and the court told the prosecution to produce witnesses, said NIA counsel Snehdeep ETV Bharat.
- Absconders: No report of the arrest or extradition of Godara, Charan or Brar was found. In November 2024 Sheela Shekhawat said the government and NIA had promised to bring them back from Canada ETV Bharat. In March 2026 she claimed Godara and Charan were in Gujarat Claim · Sheela Shekhawat Patrika.
Where things stand
By March 2026 Sheela Shekhawat was the outfit's national president. In Udaipur she demanded that the case be taken from the NIA and given to IPS officer Dinesh MN, and the outfit announced a gherao of the chief minister's residence for 29 March Patrika. On 29 March Karni Sena members protested in Jaipur. They demanded death sentences for the killers, more security for Sheela Shekhawat, and a government teacher's job and compensation for the widow of Ajeet Singh. State president Ujagar Singh Dabla said they would stay at the Vidyadhar Nagar stadium until they got justice ETV Bharat. No report on how that protest ended, or of a verdict in the trial, was found as of October 2026.
Questions people ask
Who killed Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi?
Police and the NIA say Rohit Rathore and Nitin Fauji shot him, and that gangster Rohit Godara was the mastermind with Virendra Charan and Goldy Brar. Godara claimed responsibility on Facebook. The arrested accused deny the charges.
What happened during the Rajasthan bandh on 6 December 2023?
Markets shut in Jaipur and many districts, protesters blocked the Jaipur 200-foot bypass and stopped five trains, and buses were halted on many highways. PTI reported stone pelting at one spot in Jaipur; reports on Jodhpur differ.
Why was Ashok Gehlot named in the FIR?
Gogamedi's widow Sheela Shekhawat alleged in her FIR that her husband had written to Gehlot and the DGP about threats and that security was deliberately denied despite a Punjab Police alert. This is her allegation. Gehlot was not charged in the NIA chargesheet.
When did the NIA take over the Gogamedi case?
The NIA re-registered the case on 11 December 2023 on a Home Ministry order and filed a chargesheet against 12 accused on 5 June 2024.
What is the status of the Gogamedi murder trial?
A special NIA court in Jaipur framed charges against eight accused in December 2025 and asked the prosecution to produce witnesses. No verdict had been reported by October 2026.
Sources
- Scroll: Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena chief Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi shot dead in Jaipur, 5 Dec 2023
- Siasat/PTI: BJP, Congress spar over Karni Sena president's killing in Jaipur, 5 Dec 2023
- Deccan Herald: Rajasthan simmers after Rajput leader's killing, hunt on for two suspects, 6 Dec 2023
- Business Standard: Karni Sena protest death of Sukhdev Gogamedi, BJP blames outgoing govt, 6 Dec 2023
- Newslaundry: Who was slain Rajput leader Gogamedi?, 6 Dec 2023
- Tribune/PTI: Karni Sena chief's killing: Protest held in parts of Rajasthan, SIT formed, 6 Dec 2023
- National Herald/PTI: Gogamedi murder: Protests erupt in Rajasthan, Governor Mishra calls Amit Shah, 7 Dec 2023
- Deccan Herald: Slain Karni Sena chief Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi laid to rest in native village, 7 Dec 2023
- Tribune/PTI: Two shooters among three nabbed in Chandigarh's Sector 22, 10 Dec 2023
- Patrika (Hindi): Advance for Gogamedi killing sent from Chandigarh and Patiala, 13 Dec 2023
- Deccan Herald/PTI: Task force to be formed to control organised crime: Rajasthan CM, 15 Dec 2023
- Tribune/PTI: One more arrested as NIA conducts raids at 31 locations, 4 Jan 2024
- Tribune/PTI: NIA charge sheet against gangster Goldy Brar, 11 others, 5 Jun 2024
- Outlook: NIA files chargesheet against Goldy Brar and 11 others, 5 Jun 2024
- ETV Bharat (Hindi): Sheela Shekhawat says family will seek justice its own way if government fails, 11 Nov 2024
- ETV Bharat (Hindi): No bail for woman accused in Gogamedi case, 4 Feb 2025
- ETV Bharat (Hindi): Rohit Rathore ends hunger strike after 23 days, 22 Feb 2025
- Tribune: Rajasthan Police's AGTF arrests 6 of Rohit Godara and Virender Charan gangs, 30 Oct 2025
- ETV Bharat (Hindi): NIA court frames charges against Gogamedi murder accused, 18 Dec 2025
- Patrika (Hindi): Karni Sena announces CM house gherao on 29 March over Gogamedi case, 10 Mar 2026
- ETV Bharat (Hindi): Gogamedi case: demand for death penalty, government accused of breaking promises, 29 Mar 2026