Jayrajsinh Jadeja

Jayrajsinh Jadeja is a convicted murderer from the state of Gujarat. A member of the Bharatiya Janata Party, he was elected to the Gujarat Legislative Assembly representing Gondal. His son, Ganesh Jadeja has been alleged to play a role in death of a Rajasthani youth in Gondal.^[1]

Early life

Jayrajsinh was born in Gujarat and his father, Jayrajsinh Temubha Jadeja, was a farmer.^[1]

Criminal history

In 2017, the Gujarat High Court convicted Jadeja for the 2004 murder of property dealer Nilesh Raiyani in Gondal, sentencing them to life imprisonment. The case stemmed from a dispute over a 35-acre heritage property, with eyewitnesses testifying that Jadeja fired the fatal shots. Although acquitted by a fast-track court in 2010, the High Court overturned this decision, and Jadeja’s appeal remains pending in the Supreme Court, with him out on bail as of 2021.^[2][3][4]

In 2012, Jadeja faced allegations of assault and rioting in Nagadka village, Gondal, following a clash with supporters of rival Gordhan Zadafia, but was acquitted in 2021 due to insufficient evidence.^[5]

In March 2025, Jayrajsinh Jadeja’s son, Ganesh Jadeja, was accused of involvement in the death of Rajkumar Jat, a UPSC aspirant from Bhilwara, Rajasthan. Rajkumar, who had been preparing for civil service examinations in Rajkot, Gujarat, went missing on 2 March 2025, following an alleged altercation with security personnel outside the residence of Gondal MLA Geetaba Jadeja, Jayrajsinh’s wife. His body was discovered on 4 March 2025, on the Rajkot-Ahmedabad Highway and identified days later.

Rajkumar’s father alleged that Ganesh Jadeja and his associates were responsible for his son’s death, claiming it was a murder rather than an accident.^[6][7] The case sparked protests in Bhilwara and demands for a CBI investigation from political figures, including Hanuman Beniwal and Ummeda Ram Beniwal.^[8][9]