Amravati killing 'larger conspiracy by a group' to promote religious enmity: NIA

The brutal killing of Maharashtras Amravatibased pharmacist Umesh Kolhe on June 21 was an act of larger conspiracy by a group of persons who conspired to strike terror amongst a section of people of India and to promote enmity on the grounds of religion the National Investigation Agency NIA FIR saysKolhes murder the FIR further states was carried out as part of the conspiracy to terrorise a section of the people of India and the case may have national and international linkagesAmravatibased pharmacist Umesh Pralhadrao Kolhe 54 was hacked to death on June 21 night after he wrote a post in support of former Bharatiya Janata Party leader Nupur Sharma on FacebookThe NIA reregistered the case on July 2 under Sections 16 18 and 20 of the Indian Penal Code IPC under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act 1967Also read Police knew Amravati chemists murder linked to posts backing Nupur SharmaThe FIR mentions that City Kotwali Police Station in Maharashtras Amravati received information about the brutal killing of Kolhe with a knife and filed a case on June 22 against three unidentified accused persons The case was registered on the complaint of Sanket Umesh Kolhe the son of the deceasedA resident of the Ghanashyam Nagar area in Amravati Kolhe was killed around 10 pm to 1030 pm on June 21 while he was returning to his homeAs per facts that surfaced during investigations sections 153A 153B and 120B of IPC and sections 16 18 and 20 of UAP Act are attracted in the case which are scheduled offences under the National Investigation Agency Act 2008 noted the FIRThe NIA was directed by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah on July 1 to take over the case and an order followed regarding this from the Ministry of Home Affairs MHA The MHA order pointed the Central Government is of the opinion that a Scheduled Offence under the National Investigation Agency Act 2008 has been committed and having regards to the gravity of the offence and repercussions to the national security it is required to be investigated by the National Investigation Agency in accordance with the National Investigation Agency Act 2008The suspects identified in the case are Mudassir Ahmed Sharukh Pathan Abdul Thoufik Shoaib Khan Atib Rashid Yusuf Khan Bahadur Khan and Shahim Ahmad Firoz Ahmad All of them have been arrested by the Maharashtra policeThe NIA on Wednesday conducted searches at 13 locations in the case and seized various incriminating documents comprising pamphlets spreading hate messagesDuring the searches conducted at the premises of the accused and suspects the NIA claimed to have seized digital devices mobile phones SIM cards memory cards DVRs knives and other incriminating documents and materialsThe investigators so far believe that Kolhe was allegedly killed in retaliation for a social media post supporting BJPs Nupur Sharma who had made controversial comments on the Prophet in a television debateThe killing took place exactly a week before tailor Kanhaiyalal Teli was hacked to death in Rajasthans Udaipur district a case that shocked the whole country