Chhota Udepur: The district police in Gujarat arrested a former soldier, Shankar Rathwa, on Saturday for the murder of Kuldeep Rathwa, the nephew of former BJP MP Ramsinh Rathwa. Kuldeep was shot and killed on Friday evening, allegedly by Shankar, due to longstanding animosity.

The incident took place around 10 PM in Pipladi village of Kawant taluka, when Shankar, along with an accomplice, Amla Rathwa, opened fire on Kuldeep at his home. Their conflict reportedly originated from a village Sarpanch election several years ago, where Kuldeep’s faction emerged victorious, fueling a long-term grudge.

Chhota Udepur Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Gaurav Agarwal stated, “Shankar Rathwa, a former serviceman, shot Kuldeep and fled the scene with Amla on a motorcycle. Shankar has been apprehended, and we are working to locate Amla.”

Kuldeep’s family reported that Shankar had been issuing threats for several days before the murder. The police have registered a murder case against Shankar and Amla at the Kawant police station, and investigations are ongoing. Kuldeep was the son of Ramsinh Rathwa’s younger brother, who is a former BJP MP from Chhota Udepur and the Chairman of the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (TRIFED). DeshGujarat