Week Before Kanhaiyalal Beheading, Amravati Chemist Umesh Kolhe Stabbed To Death For 'Blasphemy', Search On For Prime Accused Irfan Khan

Preliminary police investigation has revealed that murder of Umesh Prahladrao Kolhe, a 54-year-old Hindu chemist who was killed in Maharashtra’s Amravati district on June 21, is likely to be linked to a post that he shared in social messaging platform in support of former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma

The murder happened exactly a week before the gruesome murder of Kanhaiyalal Teli, a Hindu tailor in Udaipur who was brutally beheaded by two Muslim assailants for expressing support to former BJP spokesperson. The assailants,Mohammad Riyaz Akhtari and Ghouse Mohammad, entered Kanhaiya Lal's shop in Dhan Mandi posing as customers. After hacking him to death with a cleaver at his shop, they posted videos online saying that they were avenging an 'insult' to Islam.

At least 5 persons have been arrested so far in this connection, a local police official said.

''Five persons have been arrested in connection with the murder of the chemist and a search is on to trace the prime accused Irfan Khan (32), who runs a NGO,'' Amravati commissioner of police Dr Aarti Singh said on Saturday.

''Kolhe ran a medical store in Amravati city. He had allegedly shared a post on some WhatsApp groups in support of Nupur Sharma for her comments. He even mistakenly shared the post in a WhatsApp group in which some Muslims were also members, including his customers,'' an official of the City Kotwali police station said.

After that, Irfan Khan hatched a conspiracy to eliminate Kolhe and roped in five persons for it. He promised to give Rs 10,000 to them and a safe escape in a car, he said.

The incident occurred between 10 pm and 10.30 pm on June 21, when Kolhe was going home on a two-wheeler after closing his shop, he said, adding that his son Sanket (27) and wife Vaishnavi were accompanying him on a different vehicle.

''When all of them reached near Mahila College's gate, two motorcycle-borne men came from behind and blocked Kolhe's path. A youth alighted from the motorcycle and stabbed Kolhe on his neck with a sharp weapon and escaped from the spot. Kolhe collapsed on the road in a pool of blood. Sanket rushed him to a hospital, where he died,'' the official said.

Based on Saket's complaint, an FIR was registered and five persons, identified as Muddsir Ahemad (22), Shahrukh Pathan (25), Abdul Thoufique (24) Shoaib Khan (22) and Atib Rashid (22), all residents of Amravati and daily wage workers, have been arrested. The police have seized the knife used in the crime and obtained the CCTV footages that captured the sequence of events.

Police commissioner Singh said the exact reason behind the murder is being ascertained.

(With inputs from PTI)