NIA to probe murder of medical store owner

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) will take over the probe into the killing of a medical store owner in Maharashtra’s Amravati over an alleged social media post supporting suspended Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma, whose comments against Prophet Mohammad triggered widespread condemnation in India and overseas. “MHA has handed over the investigation of the case relating to the barbaric killing of Shri Umesh Kolhe in Amravati Maharashtra on June 21 to NIA. The conspiracy behind the killing, involvement of organisations and international linkages would be thoroughly investigated,” home minister’s office (HMO) tweeted on Saturday.

Umesh Kolhe, who ran a medical store in Amravati, was going home on his scooter on the night of June 21 when he was accosted by three young men on a bike and hacked to death. Kolhe’s son and wife were in a different vehicle but they could not save him.

Five people - Mudassir Ahamad, Shahrukh Pathan, Abdul Taufiq Sheikh, Shoeb Khan and Ateeq Rashid - have been arrested in connection with the murder, and a local court extended their police custody till July 5. Search is also on to find the sixth person, Irfan Khan, who runs a non-governmental organisation (NGO) and is seen as the prime accused, Amravati police commissioner Dr Aarti Singh said on Saturday.

An official of the City Kotwali police station told PTI Umesh Kolhe allegedly shared a post on some WhatsApp groups in support of Nupur Sharma.

He mistakenly shared the post in a WhatsApp group in which some Muslims were also members, including his customers.

Following this, the prime accused, Irfan Khan, allegedly hatched a conspiracy to eliminate Kolhe and roped in five people. This murder took place a week before Kanhaiya Lal, a tailor in Rajasthan’s Udaipur, was also brutally murdered, by two Muslim men, for supporting Nupur Sharma.

The Supreme Court on Friday came down heavily on Sharma for her comments against the Prophet, saying her “loose tongue” has “set the entire country on fire” and that she is “single-handedly responsible for what is happening in the country”. The investigation team members have not spoken to the media in this regard, so far.

Vikram Sali, the deputy commissioner of police, Amravati, who was supervising the investigation, said that the investigation of NIA is totally parallel to the state police’s investigation and hence he was unable to comment on it.

UMESH KOLHE WAS GOING HOME ON HIS SCOOTER ON THE NIGHT OF JUNE 21 WHEN HE WAS ACCOSTED BY THREE YOUNG MEN ON A BIKE AND HACKED TO DEATH