The National Investigation Agency on Wednesday took over the murder case of Kanhaiya Lal, a tailor who was beheaded in Udaipur on Tuesday, reported ANI. The killing was filmed by his assailants.
“The involvement of any organisation and international links will be thoroughly investigated,” the office of Home Minister Amit Shah said in a tweet.
Meanwhile, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said in a tweet that the murder case has been filed under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The Rajasthan Anti-Terrorism Squad and state police will cooperate with the central agency, he added.
A purported video of the killing surfaced on social media on Tuesday evening. Another clip of two men purportedly claiming responsibility for the killing was also shared online. In the video, the men identified themselves as Mohammed Riyaz Attari and Ghouse Mohammed, brandished swords and threatened to kill Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Both the men have been arrested.
Lal had allegedly shared a social media post supporting suspended Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Nupur Sharma. She was suspended on June 5 for making disparaging comments about Prophet Muhammad during a debate on the Times Now television channel.
In his tweet on Tuesday, Gehlot said that a police investigation prima facie showed that the attack was carried out with the intention to spread terror.
“Information about the contacts of both the accused in other countries has also come to the fore,” he added.
Earlier in the day, Gehlot had called the murder a conspiracy, ANI reported. “It is not an ordinary incident,” he said. “We will seriously decipher the conspiracy and links to this killing.”
The chief minister also held a meeting with senior officials to take stock of the law and order situation in the state.
NIA reaches Udaipur
The National Investigation Agency on Wednesday afternoon said that its team has reached Udaipur and has started the inquiry, reported ANI.
The agency also said that it re-registered a case into the murder that was earlier filed the local police.
The agency’s case has been filed under sections 452 (trespassing into a house to assault a person), 302 (murder), 153 (Promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc), 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings), 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.
Assistant sub-inspector suspended
Meanwhile, an assistant sub-inspector attached at the Dhan Mandi police station of Udaipur was suspended on Tuesday for alleged negligence on his part that led to Lal’s murder, PTI reported.
A first information report had been filed against Lal on June 11 for sharing the social media post and he was subsequently arrested, said Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Hawa Singh Ghumaria.
“On June 15, while he [Lal] was on bail, he told police that he was receiving threat calls,” Ghumaria said. “The local SHO [station house officer] summoned him, the complainant and some people from both the communities to the police station and settled the matter.”
Assistant Sub-Inspector Bhanwar Lal allegedly did not pay attention to the concerns raised by the tailor, said Udaipur Inspector General of Police Hinglaj Dan.
After Lal’s killing, shops in the city’s Maldas Street area were closed down. Locals also staged a protest against the incident. Muslim groups and several political leaders criticised the incident.
Udaipur Superintendent of Police Manoj Kumar on Wednesday appealed everyone to have faith on the process of law, ANI reported. “Action will be taken against the accused,” Kumar said.
‘Failure of police’, says BJP
Leader of Opposition in Rajasthan Gulab Chand Kataria visited Lal’s family at Udaipur’s MB Government Hospital on Wednesday, reported ANI.
“Police should have provided protection when he asked for it and after his shop was closed for 4-5 days,” Kataria said. “It was a 100% failure of police.”
BJP leader Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said that the murder was not an isolated incident and alleged that terrorist groups were flourishing in the state.
“In the past six months, there has not even been one week when acts of terror did not take place in Rajasthan,” he said. “The Rajasthan government is completely responsible for this.”
Rathore claimed that during festivals “restrictions are placed on one community’s celebrations, while complete freedom is given to another community”.
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