Kanhaiya Lal Murder Case: Rajasthan HC Grants Bail to Accused Mohammad Javed

Jaipur: The Rajasthan High Court on Thursday granted bail to Mohammad Javed, who was arrested in connection with the high-profile Kanhaiyalal murder case in Udaipur. 

The division bench of Justice Pankaj Bhandari and Justice Praveen Bhatnagar approved the bail on a bond of Rs 2 lakh and an additional surety of Rs 1 lakh.

Javed was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) 20 days after Kanhaiyalal's murder. He was accused of meeting the main accused, Riyaz Akhtari, a day before the incident. During a search of Javed’s residence, a blunt sword was recovered, leading to charges under the Arms Act.

Authorities, including the NIA, alleged that Javed played a crucial role in the conspiracy to murder Kanhaiya Lal. He reportedly conducted a reccee and informed Riyaz Attari and Ghouse Mohammad about Kanhaiya Lal's presence at his shop just before the attack. This information played a key in the execution of the killing.

In June 2022, Kanhaiya Lal, a tailor in Udaipur, was brutally hacked to death in his shop by two men in broad daylight. The attack, which took place on June 28, was captured on CCTV cameras. It reportedly followed Kanhaiya Lal’s social media post in support of suspended Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Nupur Sharma, who had made controversial remarks about Prophet Mohammad. The gruesome beheading triggered widespread outrage across the country. The assailants fled, but the shocking footage of the murder spread rapidly, fueling anger nationwide.

Within hours, the two accused, Riyaz Akhtari and Ghouse Mohammad, were arrested. In a video they shared, they claimed responsibility for the crime, with Riyaz seen attacking 47-year-old Kanhaiya Lal with a sharp-edged weapon while Ghouse recorded the incident on his mobile phone.

Kanhaiya Lal had previously filed a complaint with the police, stating he had received threats, reportedly due to his social media post supporting Nupur Sharma.