Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Sunday the initial ‘theft’ angle in the killing of a medical store owner in Amravati city will be investigated, calling the murder barbaric.
His statement came as the court sent the prime accused and mastermind in the case, Irfan Khan, to seven-day police custody a day after he was nabbed from Nagpur.
“The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is investigating (the case), finding if there is some international connection. This was initially portrayed as theft, that too will be investigated,” Fadnavis said.
Earlier, Amravati MP Navneet Rana said the city police commissioner Aarti Singh had first labelled the killing as robbery and tried to suppress the case.
The NIA has taken over the Amravati killing and will register a case under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). A team from the central agency is in the city as part of the probe.
Umesh Kolhe, 54, the owner of a medical store in Amravati, was killed on the night of June 21 by three young men on a bike when he was on his way back home on a scooter.
Kolhe’s wife and son were in a different two-wheeler behind him but they could not save him.
The medical store owner was hacked to death over an alleged social media post supporting Nupur Sharma, who made derogatory statements against Prophet Mohmmad following which she was suspended as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson.
Seven people have been arrested so far, including Khan. Sheikh Irfan Shaikh Rahim alias Irfan Khan (35), runs a voluntary organisation, Rahbar, and police have initiated an investigation into the NGO’s bank accounts, PTI reported citing an official. While Khan’s custody is till July 7, others arrested in the case have been remanded till July 5.
Meanwhile, Kolhe’s family has demanded a trial in a fast-track court. He was murdered a week before Udaipur tailor Kanhaiya Lal was beheaded by two Muslim men, for supporting the suspended BJP spokesperson.