A preliminary police investigation has concluded that Hindu chemist Umesh Prahladrao Kolhe was killed in connection to a social media post backing former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma.
Kolhe was violently murdered in Amravati, Maharashtra state, on 21 June.
"Kolhe ran a medical store in Amravati city. He had allegedly shared a post on some WhatsApp groups in support of Nupur Sharma for her comments. He even mistakenly shared the post in a WhatsApp group in which some Muslims were also members, including his customers,'' an official from the City Kotwali police station told Indian Express.
Kolhe was attacked when returning from his shop on a scooter at night. His son Sanket and wife closely followed him in a different vehicle.
''When all of them reached Mahila College's gate, two motorcycle-borne men came from behind and blocked Kolhe's path. A youth alighted from the motorcycle and stabbed Kolhe in his neck with a sharp weapon and escaped from the spot. Kolhe collapsed on the road in a pool of blood. Sanket [his son] rushed him to a hospital, where he died,'' the City Kotwali police station official said.
On Saturday, India's Home Ministry handed the murder of the 54-year-old to the National Investigative Agency (NIA), which will also investigate the involvement of organizations and international elements. Indian Express earlier reported that police were treating the incident as a hate crime.
Home Minister Tweet On Amravati Killing
© Photo : Twitter
Muddsir Ahmad (22) and Shahrukh Pathan (25) were arrested on 23 June in connection with the crime. So far, five suspects have been detained.
''Five persons have been arrested in connection with the murder of the chemist and a search is on to trace the prime accused Irfan Khan (32), who runs an NGO,'' said Amravti Police Commissioner Dr. Aarti Singh on Saturday.
Police have also seized the knife said to have been used in the crime and obtained CCTV footage that captured the moment.
In a similar incident, tailor Kanhaiya Lal was lynched in broad daylight by two Muslim men in Udaipur, Rajasthan state on 28 June after he reportedly shared a tweet in support of Sharma. Both men accused in the matter have been arrested.
Sharma, a now-suspended spokeswoman of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), made disparaging remarks about the Prophet Mohammad during a live TV debate on 26 May.
Her comments prompted protests both in India and beyond, with a number of Muslim countries, including Qatar and Kuwait, summoning the respective Indian envoys to lodge an official complaint. Hundreds of people have been arrested across India during the public unrest.
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