NIA court refuses to discharge accused in Amaravati pharmacist murder

Special NIA judge Chakor S Baviskar said last week that the material annexed to the charge sheet was enough to proceed against Abdul Taufeeque Shaikh

MUMBAI: A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court has rejected the discharge plea of Abdul Taufeeque Shaikh, who is accused of killing Amravati-based pharmacist Umesh Kolhe over his support for former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma’s controversial statements about Prophet Mohammed.

NIA court refuses to discharge accused in Amaravati pharmacist murder

Special NIA judge Chakor S Baviskar said last week that the material annexed to the charge sheet was enough to proceed against Shaikh, more so because every accused in the case pursued the same end.

“There appears to be unity of minds in the object to be achieved. There was only one goal to be achieved and it was to commit murder of the victim Umesh Kolhe, by using lethal weapons, especially to strike terror in specific sections of people,” the court said while rejecting Shaikh’s discharge plea.

On May 26, 2022, former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma made some controversial statements about Prophet Mohammed during a television debate which caused massive outrage among Muslims. Kolhe, who ran a veterinary medical store in Amravati, was killed after he openly expressed support for Sharma.

According to the prosecution, some extremist elements from Amravati hatched a conspiracy and attacked Kolhe while he was on his way home on his scooter on the night of June 21, 2022. Kolhe was accosted by three young men on a bike and stabbed in the neck, which led to his death.

Shaikh had sought discharge from the case, claiming that he was falsely implicated and there was no prima facie evidence against him. His counsel submitted that statements of witnesses and scientific evidence collected by the NIA clearly indicated that he was innocent.

“The prosecution has miserably failed to establish the theory of conspiracy and common intention of all the accused,” his counsel submitted, adding that no offence was even prima facie made out against Shaikh.

The NIA opposed his plea, pointing out that he had conspired with other accused and conducted a recce on Kolhe with an intention to eliminate him for supporting Sharma’s controversial statement.

The agency also claimed that Shaikh had met the other accused multiple times, apart from visiting the incident spot and his pharmacy, Amit Veterinary Medical Shop; based on the information supplied by him, three other accused brutally murdered Kolhe, the NIA said.