- A house reportedly linked to fugitive gangster Rohit Godara was demolished in Bikaner, Rajasthan
- The demolition occurred at night when no one was present at the bungalow, reportedly Godara's ancestral home
- Authorities deny involvement and are reviewing CCTV footage to identify those responsible
A house reportedly linked to fugitive gangster Rohit Godara has been demolished in Rajasthan's Bikaner, with the district administration and police denying any official involvement in the incident.
The incident took place late Monday night when no one was present at the bungalow, reportedly Godara's ancestral property, in Loonkaransar.
Preliminary assessment suggested that an earthmover machine was used to bring down a considerable part of the house, Loonkaransar Circle Officer Ranveer Singh said.
Residents in the area claimed they were unaware of the demolition, explaining that scattered houses in the area are located far apart from one another, he said.
Villagers also suggested that the sound of the machine could have gone unnoticed amid the noise of air coolers running in nearby homes, Singh said.
Police said they are examining CCTV footage from the area along with other available evidence in an effort to trace the accused.
The house had earlier been home to Godara's father, Sant Das, mother, Gita, and his brother, Hanuman Swami.
Godara's parents and Hanuman are currently in judicial custody in connection with separate extortion cases. Hanuman's wife had left the house along with her children about 10 to 12 days ago, requesting neighbours to look after the family's crops during her absence, officials said.
No formal complaint has so far been filed with the police regarding the demolition.
Who Is Rohit Godara
Rohit Godara, reportedly aged 37 now, is a resident of Rajasthan's Bikaner.
Facing arrests in multiple cases, he reportedly fled India in 2022 and now operates from abroad.
His name had surfaced last week in connection with "Operation Hard Ball", a coordinated crackdown on Indian organised crime networks carried out by law enforcement agencies in the United States, Canada and Europe. He was identified as the European head of the gangster Lawrence Bishnoi's crime network.
