A cleric in Rajasthan’s Ajmer district was arrested for allegedly offering his house to anyone who beheads suspended Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma over her contentious remarks on Prophet Mohammed, police said on Wednesday.
The arrest came after a purported video of the cleric, Salman Chishti, announcing the bounty on Sharma, went viral on social media, they said. HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the clip.
Ajmer Police had registered a case against the Chishti on Monday night. He was arrested on Tuesday night when he returned to his residence at Khadim mohalla, additional superintendent of police (ASP) Vikas Sangwan said.
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Preliminary investigation revealed the cleric was in an inebriated state when he recorded the video, the ASP said. “The arrested accused is a history-sheeter and an alcoholic,” he said.
Chishti has been booked under section 153-A (promoting enmity on grounds of religion) of Indian Penal Code and under the Information Technology Act, police said.
{{/usCountry}}Chishti has been booked under section 153-A (promoting enmity on grounds of religion) of Indian Penal Code and under the Information Technology Act, police said.
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In the video, the cleric is purportedly seen and heard announcing he would gift his house to anyone who brings Sharma’s head to him. Chishti is also allegedly heard saying he would shoot her dead for insulting the Prophet.
The video, police said, was made before a Hindu tailor in Udaipur was hacked to death by two Muslim men for allegedly supporting Sharma’s remarks on the Prophet, a hate crime that has shocked the country.
The clip, however, surfaced on social media later, police added.