Anger over the killing of gangster Jagan Gurjar inside Ajmer's high security jail is expected to spill into a massive gathering today in Rajasthan's Dholpur district. Jagan's ancestral village, Bhabhutipura, which falls under the Bari subdivision of Dholpur, will host a tiye ki baithak, a customary mourning assembly, this afternoon. Members of the Gurjar community and Jagan's supporters are expected to turn up in large numbers from across the region.
Meeting's agenda: justice demand and a check on administration's promises
The mourning assembly's central purpose is being described as pressing for justice over Jagan Gurjar's killing inside the Ajmer high security jail, and reviewing how much of the administration's earlier assurances have actually been carried out so far. On the very same day, police made a significant move of their own, arresting the murder accused Vishnu Jat from the Ajmer high security jail on a production warrant.
Killed in jail on Monday, cremated on Wednesday
Jagan Gurjar was killed inside the Ajmer high security jail on Monday. Two days later, on Wednesday, his last rites were performed in Bhabhutipura under tight police security, with a large crowd from the area turning up for the funeral as well. Jagan's family and his close supporters are now working out their next course of action, demanding a fair investigation into the killing and strict punishment for those responsible for it.
Son Asaram's appeal to the community
Jagan's son, Asaram Gurjar, posted on social media on Thursday appealing to community members to attend the mourning assembly in as large numbers as possible. Asaram has said his father was murdered through deceit inside the jail, and that the community must stand united to ensure the guilty are punished severely. The family alleges this was no ordinary crime but a premeditated murder, and insists the entire case must be investigated impartially from every angle.
The family is also asking that a written agreement reached with the police and administration before the post mortem be honoured without further delay. They have made clear that if their demands are not acted upon within a reasonable time, they will sit down and decide their next strategy. That is precisely why police and the district administration have gone on high alert ahead of today's assembly in Bhabhutipura.
Administration on alert over expected crowd, people likely from other districts too
The thousands who turned out for the funeral had already put the administration on notice, which is why extra surveillance is in place today across the village and its approach roads. There is an expectation that Gurjar community members will arrive in Bhabhutipura not only from the surrounding areas but from other districts as well, given the scale of anger over the killing. A number of community members and public representatives have also questioned how such an incident could occur inside a state high security jail in the first place, calling it a matter of serious concern that demands an impartial probe and firm action against those found responsible. For now, all eyes are on today's assembly in Bhabhutipura, where the demand for justice could be accompanied by important decisions on the road ahead for the family and the community.
Accused Vishnu Jat arrested, was lodged in the same barrack as Jagan
Ajmer's Civil Lines police station arrested murder accused Vishnu Jat early this morning from the Ajmer high security jail on a production warrant. He was then brought to the police station under heavy security, where he will now be questioned in detail about the killing. Vishnu Jat is reported to have been lodged in the same barrack as Jagan inside Ajmer jail, and during initial questioning he has already confessed to killing him.
Police will now get the accused medically examined before questioning him further to get to the bottom of what actually drove the killing. The interrogation is expected to reveal more details about the case in the coming days, and should also clarify whether the murder stemmed from an immediate dispute between the two men or was carried out as part of a larger conspiracy hatched inside the jail.
