NIA invokes UAPA in killing of pharmacist in Amravati

Umesh Kolhe was murdered while he was on his way home. The assailants, who intercepted him near New Main High School, slit his throat with a knife and fled without taking any valuables or his mobile phone.

The six people arrested for the murder of Amravati veterinary pharmacist Umesh Kolhe, including prime accused Irfan Khan, have been charged for terrorist activities by the National Investigation Agency.

Veterinary pharmacist Umesh Kolhe was murdered while he was on his way home, in Amravati. (ANI)

The federal anti-terror agency has invoked sections 16, 18 and 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967, which deal with terrorist activities, besides sections 153A and 153B (promoting enmity on the lines of religion and caste), 302 (murder) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) under the Indian Penal Code in its first information report filed on Saturday, people familiar with the development said.

The Union home ministry on Saturday asked the central agency to look into “involvement of organisations and international linkages” in the killing of Kolhe, a 54-year-old pharmacist, on June 21. Similar charges have been added in the case taken up by NIA in the June 28 killing of a 47-year-old tailor by extremists in Rajasthan’s Udaipur city. The six people were taken into custody by Maharashtra police in Amravati on Saturday and are being interrogated jointly by NIA, police and central intelligence agencies. On Sunday, a local court sent Irfan to police custody till July 7.

Kolhe was murdered while he was on his way home. The assailants, who intercepted him near New Main High School, slit his throat with a knife and fled without taking any valuables or his mobile phone.

Kolhe may have been murdered for posting messages on social media in support of suspended Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma, who made controversial remarks against Prophet Mohammed, investigators said.

“The incident was an act of larger conspiracy of a group of accused persons and others who have conspired among themselves to strike terror amongst a section of people of India and with their assertions attempted to promote enmity on the grounds of religion and thereby commit a terrorist act,” NIA has said in its FIR.

NIA is also probing the international connection in the case, said Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. “The Amravati incident is very serious, (and) the killing was barbaric. The accused, the mastermind, has been nabbed. NIA is investigating it to find if there is some international connection,” Fadnavis told reporters on Sunday.

In Udaipur, Lal was hacked to death allegedly by self-radicalised Muslim men for a social media post in support of Nupur Sharma. NIA has already taken custody of four accused — Riyaz Akhtari, Gaus Mohammed (main attackers), Mohsin and Asif.

In both Amravati and Udaipur murders, which may not be linked, “we will carry out technical examination of digital devices of accused persons to find out about their contacts on social media platforms, within India and abroad, people they were in touch, and retrieve any deleted media”, an NIA officer said, asking not to be named.

Sharma’s comments on Prophet Mohammed during a TV debate on May 28 triggered an international row. She was suspended as a spokesperson of the BJP on June 5, while another BJP leader Naveen Jindal was expelled for his statements on Islam.