NIA to probe killing of chemist in Maharashtra's Amravati, says Home ministry

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The government on Saturday decided to hand over the probe into the killing of a chemist in Maharashtra's Amravati city to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), as the case was suspected to be a terror incident after it appeared that the victim was hacked to death for social media posts in support of Nupur Sharma who was suspended from the BJP following her remarks on Prophet Mohammad.

The chemist, Umesh Prahladrao Kolhe, was killed on June 21.

A Home Ministry spokesperson tweeted that the probe of the case relating to the "barbaric killing" of Kolhe has been handed over to the NIA.

The federal probe agency would thoroughly investigate the conspiracy behind the killing and involvement of organisations and international linkages.

Khole's killing had taken place a week before two men hacked to death Kanhaiya Lal, a tailor in Rajasthan's Udaipur, with a cleaver at his shop before posting videos online saying that they were avenging an insult to Islam. That case is also being probed by the NIA.

The Maharashtra Police have so far arrested five people in connection with the Amravati killing and are looking for one Irfan Khan, who runs an NGO and is alleged to be the prime accused in the case.

According to the police, Kolhe had allegedly shared a post on some WhatsApp groups in support of Nupur Sharma for her comments following which Khan is alleged to have hatched a conspiracy to eliminate him.

The incident occurred between 10 pm and 10.30 pm on June 21 when Kolhe was returning home on a two-wheeler after closing his shop.

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