Nupur link suspected in killing of Maha chemist; NIA to probe

The anti-terror probe agency NIA will investigate the killing of a chemist in Maharashtra’s Amravati, the government said on Saturday, after it emerged it might be linked to his social media posts supporting suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma.

The chemist, Umesh Prahladrao Kolhe, was killed on June 21. A Home Ministry spokesperson tweeted that the probe of the case relating to the “barbaric killing” of Kolhe has been handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The federal probe agency would thoroughly investigate the conspiracy behind the killing and the involvement of organisations and international linkages.

Kolhe’s killing had taken place a week before two men hacked to death a tailor in Rajasthan’s Udaipur before posting videos online saying that they were avenging an insult to Islam.

The NIA is also probing the killing of the Udaipur tailor, Kanhaiya Lal. The Maharashtra Police have arrested five people in connection with the Amravati killing and are looking for one Irfan Khan, who runs an NGO and is alleged to be the prime accused in the case.

According to the police, Kolhe had allegedly shared a post on some WhatsApp groups in support of Nupur Sharma, following which Khan is alleged to have hatched a conspiracy to eliminate him.

Hailakandi: A man was arrested in Assam’s Hailakandi district for allegedly supporting the brutal killing of the tailor in Rajasthan’s Udaipur, police said. Samsul

Laskar was a resident of Katlicherra area. He was arrested on Thursday, and a case was filed against him under various sections of the IPC and the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act after Hailakandi’s Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) president Milan Das filed a police complaint.

Das, in his complaint, accused Laskar of making the comment on a post by a person named Abu Choudhury who demanded capital punishment for the culprits involved in the murder of Kanhaiya Lal, the tailor, police said.