New Delhi: The role of a member of Tablighi Jamaat has been mentioned in the charge sheet of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed against 11 accused in connection with the barbaric killing of Umesh Prahladrao Kolhe (54), a chemist shop owner in Maharashtra’s Amravati district who had supported Nupur Sharma.
The NIA filed the charge sheet on December 16.
The accused were identified as Mudassir Ahmed, Shahrukh Khan, Abdul Taufeeque Shaikh, Mohammad Shoeb, Atib Rashid, Yusuf Khan, Irfan Khan, Abdul Arbaz, Mushifique Ahmad, Shaikh Shakil and Shahim Ahemad. All have been charge-sheeted under sections, 120B, 341, 302, 153-A, 201, 118, 505, 506, 34A of the IPC and section 16, 17, 18, 19 & 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The charge sheet mentions Mudassir Ahmed, son of Sheikh Ibrahim, as a Tablighi Jamaat member.
“Investigations revealed that a criminal conspiracy was hatched by the accused persons by constituting a terrorist gang to murder Umesh Kolhe, who had uploaded his WhatsApp post in support of allegedly controversial remarks made by ex-BJP leader Nupur Sharma. The accused working with common intentions, brutally killed Kolhe on June 21, 2022 at Ghantaghar in Amravati in a public area, with an aim to strike terror among the people,” the NIA has said.
Sanket Kohle, his son had got an FIR registered in this respect with the City Kotwali Police Station. Later on the probe of the matter was taken over by the NIA.
“Kolhe posted a message on a whatsApp group where Muslims were also his customers. They didn’t like his support to Nupur and killed him,” the NIA has said.
Kolhe was returning by bike and his wife and son were following him on a scooter when he was attacked and killed.
