Most wanted criminal and leader of dreaded ‘Rajesh Kodiya gang’ of Rajasthan arrested by Crime Branch along with two other members of the gang including his real brother

• Recovered two country-made pistols, six live cartridges and a Verna car stolen from Gujarat.
• All the accused were wanted in a sensational and highlighted case of a murder case in gang-war in District Karouli, Rajasthan in which they had shot dead rival gangster of slain gangster Anandpal gang.
• One of the arrested accused is youngest Sarpanch in Rajasthan.
• Rajasthan Police was hunting for more than 2 months in search of accused persons in several states of India.

INTRODUCTION

The Crime Branch has arrested three most wanted members of dreaded ‘Rajesh Kodiya gang’ of Rajasthan from Dwarka area including the gang leader and his real brother, who is presently youngest Sarpanch in Rajasthan. The Crime Branch has recovered two country-made pistols, six live cartridges and a Verna car stolen from Gujarat. The accused persons were wanted in a sensational and highlighted case of murder in gang-war in the area of PS Shri Mahaveerji, District Karauli, Rajasthan in which, they shot dead one Hemraj, a dreaded gangster of rival ‘Anandpal gang’ of Rajasthan and in a case of forgery of PS Hindaun, District Karouli in which the accused Rajesh Kumar along with his associates had prepared fake bail orders for the release of one of his associate from jail. The names and addresses of the arrested accused persons are as under: -

(1) Rajesh Kumar Meena @ Rajesh Kodiya (32 years) r/o Village Kodiya, PS Shri Mahaveerji District Karouli, Rajasthan and

(2) Raj Kumar Meena @ Sarpanch (26 years) r/o Village Kodiya, PS Shri Mahaveerji District Karouli, Rajasthan and  

(3) Dhara Singh @ Raju (24 years) r/o Village Pahadi PS Balghat, District Karouli, Rajasthan

INFORMATION, TEAM & OPERATION

HC Sidharth and Ct. Pawan Dalal posted in the Inter-border Gangs Investigation Squad (IGIS), Crime Branch Dwarka were assigned the job to keep check on the movements of interstate gangsters, active in Delhi and adjoining areas. After diligent technical and field work, a tip off was received to the police officials that the dreaded gangster of Rajasthan, Rajesh Kodiya, who was wanted in sensational and highlighted case of murder of District Karouli would come to Dwarka from Gurugram, Haryana with his associates in a stolen Verna car. This information was further developed and a core team of Crime Branch under supervision of ACP Jasbir Singh led by Insp. Attar Singh and consisting of SI Ravi, ASIs Mahesh Tyagi, Kartar Singh, Pradeep Hooda, HCs Sidharth, Rajeev Sahrawat, Sandeep Nara, Ramkumar and Consts. Pawan and Deepak Gulia was constituted to nab the criminals. The Crime Branch team laid a trap near expected place of their arrival and on the mark of secret informer, a white coloured Verna car having Gujarat number was successfully intercepted at Najafgarh Nala Road while they were coming from Gurugram via Najafgarh-Bijwasan. On search, two country made pistols of 12 bore and .315 bore and 6 live cartridges were recovered from their possession and on verification, the Verna car was found stolen from area of PS Ghatkotiya, Ahemdabad, Gujarat. On this, a case under appropriate sections of law was registered and the accused persons were arrested in the case.            

INTERROGATION, DISCLOSURE & PROFILE

Interrogation of the accused persons revealed that the gang leader Rajesh Kodiya and Raj Kumar are real brothers and belongs to a wealthy and reputed family. They are three brothers and a sister in their family. Their father was a govt. teacher in Rajasthan and presently he is Hostel Superintendent in District Karouli.

After completing his graduation from Jaipur, the accused Rajesh Kumar Meena @ Rajesh Kodiya took admission in B.Ed. and LLb. In Jaipur. During this period, he was arrested first time in the year 2008, when he along-with his friends killed a college student. Later on he was acquitted in this case and joined job of a clerk in SBI, Indore but did not inform his department about his criminal involvement. After police verification, he was dismissed from the services in the year 2010. Thereafter, he returned back to his native village and started farming on his agricultural land. During this period, he came in contact with some local criminals and formed a gang in order to gain supremacy in the area. He also joined his younger brothers Raj Kumar Meena and Bhoora Singh in his gang. His brother Bhoora Singh is also a known criminal in the area and presently lodged in jail in murder case of Hemraj.  

After that he along with his brothers Rajkumar Meena and Bhoora Singh decided to make their career in politics and in the year 2015 his brother Raj Kumar Meena fought and won the Panchayat Election in their village. His brother Raj Kumar Meena was only 23 years old at that time and was the youngest Sarpanch in the area.

In the year 2015, while, Bhoora Singh was lodged in Hindoun jail, a dispute arose between Bhoora Singh and one Hemraj lodged in the same cell and he had beaten up Hemraj, who was also a history-sheeter in Rajasthan and was active member of slain gangster Anandpal gang. After coming out of the jail, Hermraj decided to eliminate Bhoora Singh and he along with his dozens of gang members abducted Bhoora Singh and took him to Chambal area. But due to timely action by Rajasthan Police, Bhoora Singh was rescued successfully.

Thereafter, in retaliation, Rajesh Kodiya gang decided to kill Hemraj and finally on 07.09.2017, the accused Rajesh Kodiya along with his gang members Rajkumar, Bhoora Singh, Dhara Singh and others assaulted on Hemraj and his brother Shivraj and other associates in the area of PS Shri Mahaveerji, District Karouli, Rajasthan with firearms, while Hemraj was returning from Hindaun court. In this, incident Hemraj was shot dead by the accused persons. After the shootout all the accused persons fled away. On this, a case vide FIR No. 146/17 dated 07.09.2017 u/s 147/148/149/307/302/34 IPC r/w 25/27 Arms Act was registered at PS Shri Mahaveerji and several teams under supervision of SSP/Karouli were constituted to nab the criminals. During investigation Bhoora Singh was arrested by police, but the gang leader Rajesh Kodiya, his brother Rajkumar Meena @ Sarpanch and other absconding accused persons could not be arrested and many teams of Rajasthan Police were hunting for them in several states. The accused Dhara Singh belongs to a middle class family residing in Village, Pahadi District Karouli. His maternal uncles are residing in Village Kodiya, hence he often used to visit their house. During period, he came in contact with Rajesh Kodiya and joined his gang influenced by the lifestyle and to earn easy and quick money. He is polytechnic diploma holder from Shri Gang Nagar in mechanical trade. He is previously involved in total 6 criminal cases of murder, attempt to murder and arms act.   

The accused Rajesh Kodiya is history-sheeter of PS Shri Mahaveerji and previously involved in total 7 cases of murder, attempt murder, threatening, rape, hurt and arms act etc., while his brother Rajkumar Meena @ Sarpanch is previously involved in total six cases of murder, rape dacoity, threatening and arms act etc.    

     The accused persons have further disclosed that the recovered weapons and the stolen car was procured by them from one Subodh Yadav r/o Jaswant Nagar, Eatah, UP during the period they  were absconding.

Concerned authorities have been informed regarding arrest of the accused persons. Raids are being conducted to arrest Subodh Yadav, source of illegal weapons and stolen car.