NIA to take over Udaipur tailor murder probe

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday took over the probe into the murder of a tailor in Rajasthan's Udaipur and invoked provisions of the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against the accused who “conspired, planned and committed the heinous” incident.

The action came following a directive from the Ministry of Home Ministry, which said it is treating the incident as a "terror incident".

The elite anti-terror investigating agency will look into whether any organisation or international links were behind the sensational killing of Kanhaiya Lal Teli by two youth Riaz Akhtari, one of the accused who slit Teli’s throat with a cleaver and Ghouse Mohammad, who recorded the act on Tuesday.

In a statement, the NIA said it has registered the case under Sections 302 (murder), 153-A (promoting enmity between communities, 153-B (imputations, assertions prejudician to national integration), 295-A (outraging religious feelings), 34 (common intention) and 452 (tresspass with an intention to cause hurt) of the Indian Penal Code.

Also Read | Tailor murdered over 'insult to Islam'; curfew in Udaipur areas, prohibitory orders across Rajasthan

It has also invoked Sections 16, 18 and 20 (related to punishment for terror act, conspiracy and being member of a terrorist organisation) of UAPA against accused who have conspired, planned and committed the heinous murder of Shri Kanhaiya Lal Telli on 28.6.2022 in Udaipur, Rajasthan.

​The case was initially registered by Rajasthan Police, which said the two accused had inflicted multiple injuries to the victim with sharp weapons. "The accused persons had also circulated a video of the criminal act in the social media claiming responsibility for the murder in order to trigger panic and strike terror among the masses across the country," the NIA said.

Earlier, the MHA said in its official Twitter handle, "MHA has directed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to take over the investigation of the brutal murder of Shri Kanhaiya Lal Teli committed at Udaipur, Rajasthan yesterday (Tuesday). The involvement of any organisation and international links will be thoroughly investigated.”

The MHA had on Tuesday night rushed an NIA team to Udaipur after a preliminary probe claimed that the two youth, who were arrested by Rajasthan Police, were influenced by the banned Islamic State (IS).

Lal was recently arrested by Rajasthan Police over a social media post and earlier this month, while on bail, he complained that he was getting threat calls.

The two youths had circulated a video clip on social media declaring that they had beheaded the tailor, who had supported former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma's controversial remarks on Prophet Mohammed. They also went on to threaten Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that a knife will get him as well.

Akhtari’s links have been traced to Pakistan-based Dawat-e-Islami, which has its branches in India as well. Cadres of the Pakistan-based Dawat-e-Islami have found to be involved in terror incidents, including the assassination of Pakistan's Punjab province Governor Salman Taseer in 2011, PTI reported.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said such incidents cannot take place without involvement of radical elements at national and international levels. Rajasthan Police had set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) soon after the arrest of the two men.