The Gujarat High Court is considering fresh evidence in the death of 23-year-old UPSC aspirant Rajkumar Jaat, after police submitted a report containing a chain of CCTV footage that reportedly shows his movements for roughly 51 km prior to his body being recovered on the Rajkot–Ahmedabad Highway.
Background and timeline
Rajkumar went missing in the early hours of 2 March 2025, according to records submitted in court. His father reported him missing to Gondal police on 5 March. On 9 March, police discovered Rajkumar’s body near an overbridge at Targadhia on the Rajkot–Ahmedabad Highway and the Kuvadava Road police registered a case, initially treating the death as a road accident.
The FIR registered by the local police included provisions relating to death due to negligence, rash driving and endangering life. Rajkumar’s father, Ratanlal Jaat, rejected the accidental-death classification and alleged his son had been murdered. He petitioned the High Court seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the circumstances of the death.
New evidence: CCTV trail and phone videos
In the latest hearing, the Gujarat government placed on record a police report that said CCTV footage from 21 locations showed Rajkumar walking alone for about 51 km. The journey was said to have taken roughly 11 hours 39 minutes. The footage reportedly shows him in the process of removing his clothes.
Investigators have forwarded the CCTV material for forensic examination; the police report submitted to the court said the footage bore no signs of tampering. Police teams also recovered videos from Rajkumar’s mobile phone that, according to the report, depicted him in a similar state in the company of friends. One such video allegedly records him discussing marijuana consumption. The footage and recovered material were reportedly reviewed by a psychiatrist whose assessment, cited in court, described a pattern of walking as "abnormal" and noted the possibility of substance use.
Family dispute and demand for CBI probe
Despite the police view that the injuries and location were consistent with a road accident, Rajkumar’s father continues to maintain his son was killed. The family has pressed for a CBI investigation, arguing that the circumstances and the extended CCTV trail raise questions that require a federal-level enquiry.
Forensics and next steps
The police have relied on forensic examination of the CCTV footage to assert authenticity. The court proceedings are expected to further examine the chain of custody for electronic evidence, medical findings from the post-mortem and the scope of the local FIR. Any decision by the High Court on transfer to the CBI will depend on whether the material filed establishes sufficient doubt about the completeness or objectivity of the local probe.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| CCTV locations | 21 |
| Distance of walking shown | 51 km |
| Reported duration | 11 hours 39 minutes |
Local impact and context
The case has drawn local attention given Rajkumar’s profile as a young aspirant preparing for the Union Public Service Commission examinations and the sensitive questions it raises about the progress and transparency of police investigations. For residents of Gondal and nearby parts of Rajkot district, the matter touches on broader concerns over how deaths discovered on highways and under overbridges are investigated, handled and communicated to families.
- Key evidentiary elements include CCTV footage, mobile phone videos and the post-mortem report.
- Contentions centre on whether the death was accidental or homicidal and whether the local probe is adequate.
- Possible outcomes are continuation of the state investigation or transfer to the CBI if the High Court finds prima facie grounds.
Court observers say the High Court will weigh the chain of custody of electronic evidence, the forensic findings and the arguments of the family before ruling on the CBI plea. Any order for central investigation would shift the inquiry from local police to a federal agency, with implications for evidence re-examination and further forensic work.
The matter remains sub judice; the High Court list did not include any immediate order at the last hearing, and parties await the next judicial date for further submissions and directions.
Reporting from Rajkot and Gondal; records and court filings were the basis of this report.
