NIA probe ordered after Amravati man likely killed for backing Nupur

NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has directed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to take over the probe into the brutal killing of Maharashtra's Amravati-based shop owner Umesh Kolhe on June 21, after he wrote a post in support of Nupur Sharma on Facebook. Home Minister's Office (HMO) made the announcement through its Twitter handle as the matter was similar to the Udaipur case in which a tailor Kanhaiya Lal Teli was killed in broad daylight by two men.

"MHA has handed over the investigation of the case relating to the barbaric killing of Shri Umesh Kolhe in Amravati Maharashtra on 21st June to NIA," HMO India tweeted. In the tweet, it is directed that "the conspiracy behind the killing, involvement of organisations and international linkages would be thoroughly investigated".

Exactly a week before tailor Kanhaiya Lal Teli was hacked to death in Udaipur, Umesh Prahladrao Kolhe, a 54-year-old chemist, was killed in Maharashtra's Amravati district on June 21. Investigators so far believe that Kolhe was killed allegedly in retaliation for a social media post supporting BJP's Nupur Sharma who had made controversial comments on the Prophet in a television debate.

Initial investigation by the City Kotwali Police Station in Amravati following a complaint by Umesh Kohle's son Sanket Kohle led them to arrest two persons - Muddsir Ahemad, 22, and Shahrukh Pathan, 25, on June 23. Their interrogation revealed the involvement of four more persons, of which three -- Abdul Thoufik, 24, Shoaib Khan, 22, and Atib Rashid, 22 -- were arrested on June 25, while one is absconding.

In Udaipur, a tailor Kanhaiya Lal was hacked to death inside his shop by two men on June 28. The HMO had also handed over the Udaipur case to the NIA to investigate it.