Amravati MP Navneet Rana has raised allegations against the city police commissioner regarding the case concerning the killing of a chemist that has sparked outrage, days after the beheading of a tailor in Udaipur made headlines. Rana alleged that the police commissioner, Dr Aarti Singh, tried to suppress the case as she called for an inquiry into the matter.
Umesh Prahladrao Kolhe,54, who ran a medical shop in Amravati, was stabbed in the neck by assailants who rode a motorbike when he was returning home on his two-wheeler from work. The incident had taken place near Ghantaghar in the Shyam Chowk area of Amravati on June 21.
Speaking to news agency ANI, Rana said: “We wrote a letter to union home minister Amit Shah, and he took action by sending the NIA. After 12 days Amravati CP came in front of the media, and said that the case is similar to the Udaipur murder, and is related to content posted about Nupur Sharma.” “After 12 days she’s giving clarification on the incident. She first said that it’s robbery and tried to suppress the case. Enquiry must also be done against Amravati CP,” she added.
Also read | NIA to register UAPA case in ISIS-style Amravati killing
Police said on Saturday that the killing was related to social media posts supporting leader Nupur Sharma who was suspended by the BJP over her controversial remarks against Prophet Mohammed during a TV debate. The case has been handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Police said the alleged mastermind of the killing has also been arrested, making it the seventh arrest in the case.
Irfan Khan (32), a local resident, was arrested from Nagpur on Saturday. The police commissioner said Khan had allegedly hatched the conspiracy to murder Kolhe and also roped in others.
The home ministry spokesperson in a tweet on Saturday informed the probe has been handed over to the NIA.
Kolhe’s killing had taken place a week before a tailor in Rajasthan’s Udaipur was murdered by two men who later posted videos online saying they were avenging an insult to Islam. The case is also being probed by the central probe agency.