Udaipur beheading: NIA to probe Pakistani links
The National Security Agency (NIA) on Wednesday took over the investigation into the beheading of tailor Kanhaiya Lal Teli in Udaipur, filing a case under terror law, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), as well as invoking several sections of the Indian Penal Code against the main accused, Riyaz Attari and Ghous Mohammad. The provisions of the UAPA that have been filed against the accused are sections 16, 18 and 20 that relate to a terrorist act, conspiring to commit a terror act and being member of a terrorist gang or organisation.
Teli was brutally killed by two Muslim men on Tuesday, allegedly for his tweets in support of the now suspended BJP spokesperson, Nupur Sharma, facing uproar
over her remarks against Prophet Mohammad. The accused videotaped the murder and then threatened Prime Minister Narendra Modi too. The government is viewing the beheading as an act of terror and is investigating if this incident has cross border connection.
Teli was on Wednesday cremated in his native village. The state witnessed protests in Bhim, Rajsamand, over the Udaipur murder. Police resorted to aerial firing and baton charge to stop protesters from heading to sensitive areas. The protestors resorted to stonepelting, during which one constable was injured.
The security agencies believe that one of the two Muslim men who killed the tailor in Udaipur allegedly has links with Pakistan-based Islamic organisation Dawat-eislami and Barelvi extremist group Tehreeke-labbaik and had visited Karachi in 2014. Pakistan has refuted the charge.
The Union home ministry had rushed a team of NIA officials to Udaipur on Tuesday itself but a formal case was registered by the central agency on Wednesday. At present, the Rajasthan police are investigating the murder and have so far arrested the two main accused, along with three others, with whom the two prime accused were in touch before the crime.