Amravati murder key accused Irfan Shaikh to remain in police custody till July 7

In a key development in the Amravati murder probe, prime accused Irfan Shaikh, who had allegedly hatched a conspiracy to murder Umesh Prahladrao Kolhe has been sent to four-day police custody. Irfan, who was arrested on July 2, will now remain in police custody till July 7. The police have stated that the key accused hatched a 'conspiracy' to eliminate Kolhe and roped in five persons for it. He promised to give Rs 10,000 to them and a safe escape in a car.

Sources have also revealed that eight more people had received threats after the brutal murder of Kolhe. Others were also told that if they like posts in support of suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, they would meet a similar fate.

Amravati murder: NIA takes over case

A 54-year-old chemist was stabbed to death in Maharashtra's Amravati city after he allegedly shared a post on a social messaging platform in support of suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma. The chemist, Umesh Prahladrao Kolhe, was stabbed in his neck on June 21. A week before two men hacked to death Kanhaiya Lal, a tailor in Rajasthan's Udaipur, with a cleaver over similar claims.

According to the police, Kolhe allegedly shared a post on some WhatsApp groups in support of Nupur Sharma and mistakenly sent it to a WhatsApp group in which Muslims were also members, including his customers. After that, a person identified as Irfan Khan hatched a conspiracy to eliminate Kolhe and roped in five persons for it. He promised to give Rs 10,000 to them and a safe escape in a car, the police said.

Under the direction of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the case. "The conspiracy behind the killing, involvement of organisations and international linkages would be thoroughly investigated," the MHA said in a tweet. 

A total of seven accused have been arrested so far. Meanwhile, the NIA has registered a case under Sections 16,18 and 20 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and Sections 153(a), 153(b), 120(b) and 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Image: Republic World