Suspended Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma has gone missing, media reports said on Friday, citing sources in the Maharashtra state government.
Sharma has been summoned by Mumbai Police to appear on 25 June to face charges of hurting religious feelings, promoting enmity and causing public mischief relating to her questionable comments about the Prophet Mohammad. Authorities have reportedly been looking for her for the last four days without success.
Sharma had previously reported that she and her family received death threats over her remarks, requesting at the time that media outlets stop re-publishing them.
Suspended BJP Spokesperson Nupur Sharma had Requested Media Outlets Not to Make Her Remarks Public
© Photo : Twitter/@NupurSharmaBJP
A police investigation against Sharma was opened on 12 June following a request from the Raza Academy, an Islamic educational and cultural organisation. Police claim to have enough evidence to charge the former politician, while other police forces are also carrying out independent investigations.
On 26 May, Sharma made derogatory comments about the Prophet Mohammad while participating in a TV debate. The debate was looking at an on-going dispute related to a centuries-old mosque in Varanasi city in Uttar Pradesh state.
After India faced backlash from the Gulf nations, the BJP suspended Sharma and issued a statement clarifying that her views did not correspond with the party's position. The former BJP spokesperson later publically apologised for her remarks, stating that her intentions were not aimed at hurting anyone's feelings.
Later, the former BJP spokesperson apologised for her remarks, stating that her intentions were not aimed at hurting anyone's feelings.