The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a charge sheet against 11 people in the murder case of Amravati-based chemist Umesh Prahladrao Kolhe, who was killed for supporting suspended Bharatiya Janta Party Spokesperson Nupur Sharma over her remarks against Prophet Muhammad.
As per NIA, the accused had hatched a criminal conspiracy and even constituted a terrorist gang to avenge Umesh, who had uploaded a WhatsApp post supporting Nupur’s remarks against the Prophet.
The national agency said the accused, working with common intention, brutally stabbed Kolhe on June 21, 2022, while he was returning home on scooter after closing his pharmacy ‘Amit Medical Store’ near Ghantaghar in Shyam Chowk area of Amravati, Maharashtra.
The accused committed the act in a public area, so as to strike terror among the people, it added.
NIA said the case was initially registered at City Kotwali Police Station in Amravati and later re-registered by NIA on July 7, 2022, after it took over the investigation, following the directions of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
The charge sheet was filed on Friday against Mudassir Ahmed, Shahrukh Khan, Abdul Taufeeque Shaikh, Atib Rashid, Mohammad Shoeb, Yusuf Khan, Irfan Khan, Abdul Arbaz, Mushifique Ahmad, Shaikh Shakil and Shahim Ahemad.
The aacused were charge-sheeted under Sections 34 (acts done with common intention), 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony),153 B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national-integration), 120 B (criminal conspiracy) and 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 16(Punishment for terrorist acts), 17 (Punishment for raising funds for a terrorist act), 18 (Punishment for conspiracy, etc), 19 (Punishment for harbouring) and 20 (Punishment for being a member of terrorist gang or organisation) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 1967, added the NIA.