Jaipur, Aug 15 (IANS): Rohit Rathore, who is accused of shooting Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena chief Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi, has gone on a hunger strike since last week demanding shifting from the Bharatpur Central Jail, Sewar, where he is presently lodged, to another prison.
Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi was shot dead in the living room of his residence in Jaipur in December last year.
Rathore is presently admitted to the jail ward of Raj Bahadur Memorial (RBM) Hospital in Bharatpur after he refused to eat food. Jail Superintendent Paramjit Singh has informed the prison department about his demands, though no decision has been taken in the matter yet.
The jail administration said that Rathore was shifted from the Ajmer Jail to Bharatpur Central Prison on May 19. However, now he is demanding that he should be shifted to another jail as he is not feeling well in the Central Prison.
"Rohit Rathore has been admitted to the Raj Bahadur Memorial Hospital following a court order. His health was fine while in jail but now he is demanding to be shifted from this jail. We will follow the orders and take action accordingly," said Superintendent Singh.
Gogamedi, a prominent Rajput leader in Rajasthan, was a member of Lokendra Singh Kalvi's Rajput Karni Sena, which staged protests against Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film 'Padmaavat' over alleged distortion of historical facts about the Rajput community.
However, due to some disagreement with the Karni Sena in 2015, Gogamedi was expelled following which he founded his own group known as Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena.
Two gunmen -- Rathore and Nitin Fauji -- shot Gogamedi on December 5, 2023, at the latter's residence in the Shyam Nagar area of Jaipur.
A 20-second video that went viral showed Gogamedi looking at his phone when the men sitting across from him stood up and fired at him.
The police said, "Tthe attackers sat with Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi for at least 10 minutes before shooting him."
A member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang later claimed responsibility for the murder.
A joint team of Jaipur Police and Delhi Police's Special Cell arrested Fauji, Rathore and one of their aides, Udham Singh, from a hotel in Chandigarh on December 9, 2023.