IT Correspondent
Mumbai, July 08:
The seven accused arrested in connection with the murder of Umesh Kolhe (54), a pharmacist from Amravati, were remanded to National Investigation Agency (NIA) custody till July 15 by Judge A K Lahoti of Special court in Mumbai on Thursday.
The pharmacist, Umesh Kolhe, was murdered on June 21 for supporting the statement of suspended Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma, in Amravati in Eastern Maharashtra on June 21 when he was returning home at the night. Two motorcycle-borne men had slit Kolhe’s throat leading to his death.
The NIA sought the custody of Irfan Khan (32), the alleged mastermind behind the murder, along with Mudassar Ahmed alias Sonu Raza Sheikh Ibrahim (22), Shahrukh Pathan alias Badshasha Hidayat Khan (25), Abdul Taufik alias Nanu Sheikh Taslim (24), Shoeb Khan alias Bhurya Sabir Khan (22), Atib Rashid Aadil Rashid (22) and Yusuf Khan Bahadur Khan (44).
The pamphlets spreading hate messages, knives, mobile phones, SIM cards, and other incriminating documents were found during the searches of the premises of the accused, the NIA pointed out. Besides the NIA told the court that the killing of Kolhe was “not just a murder” but prima facie an act to “terrorize people”.
After the case was transferred from Kotwali police station in Amravati to the NIA earlier this week, the central agency produced the men before a Mumbai special court on Thursday.
The accused have also been charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
The NIA special public prosecutor told the court that the incident was a “deep-rooted conspiracy” and the probe was not limited to Amravati. He added that Kolhe’s wife and son, who were accompanying him on another scooter on the night of the incident, had said that the reason behind the murder was not any old enmity.
The prosecutor said that the NIA probe showed prima facie involvement of the seven men in the terror case. The Union government was also in the know of the case, as it was a serious offense, and a similar incident had occurred elsewhere.
The NIA sought the custody of the seven men for two weeks stating that it should be allowed to probe the alleged conspiracy. It added that there were more suspects in the case, including one who was absconding.
NIA arrests sixth accused over Rajasthan tailor’s murder
In another development, the special NIA court on Wednesday sent a sixth accused in connection with the killing of tailor Kanhaiya Lal on June 28 in Rajasthan’s Udaipur to the federal agency’s custody till July 12. The NIA has taken over the probe into the killing of the tailor in Udaipur for allegedly sharing remarks by Nupur Sharma.
NIA picked up Wasim Ali, who ran a meat shop opposite the tailoring shop of Kanhaiya Lal, on Tuesday night and questioned him for his alleged role in helping other accused carry out a recce of the area. He was arrested on Wednesday and produced before the Special Court in Rajasthan.
Lal was killed with a cleaver inside his tailoring shop on June 28. While Riyaz Akhtari attacked the 47-year-old tailor, Gaus Mohammed recorded the act and posted it online. They said in a video later that they killed Lal to avenge an alleged insult to Islam. The two were arrested within hours of the killing. Two others, Mohammad Mohsin and Asif, were later arrested for allegedly being involved in the conspiracy. The accused in the case are Riyaz Akhtari, Gaus Mohammed, Mohammad Mohsin, Asif, Muhammad Riyaz, and Wasim Ali.
