Amravati killing a terror act with national security angle, states NIA FIR

The National Investigating Agency (NIA) has called the gruesome ISIS-style killing of Umesh Kolhe by Islamists in Amravati a terror act with the motive to terrorize a “section of people of India” in the registered FIR on late Saturday night.

The NIA will also investigate whether the case is part of a national conspiracy or the savage crime has been instigated from abroad.

A case under Section 16, 18 and 20 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and Section 34, 153 (A), 153 (B), 120 (B) and 302 IPC has been filed based on a complaint by the victim’s son. Umesh Prahladrao Kolhe, a pharmacist from Satuma Amravati, was done to death by three bike-riding Islamists as a punishment meted out to the victim for supporting former BJP leader Nupur Sharma’s anti-Prophet remarks on a TV channel debate. The FIR has listed Mudassir Ahmed, Shahrukh Pathan, Abdul Thoufik, Shoaib Khan, Atib Rashid, Yusuf Khan, Shahim Ahmed and Irfan Khan as accused along with unknown others.

“The said incident of a cold-blooded murder of deceased Umesh Kolhe was an act of larger conspiracy of a group of accused persons and others who have conspired among themselves to strike terror amongst a section of people of India and with their assertions attempted to promote enmity on the grounds of religion and thereby commit a terrorist act on June 21 between 10.00-1030 pm,” stated the NIA FIR. The NIA filed an FIR based on a Union Home Ministry order on Saturday asking the nodal federal investigating agency to take up the case.

While the savage crime was committed by Islamists on June 21, five days before the Udaipur killing of a similar nature, the Amravati police registered it as a case of murder with robbery as a motive. The NIA FIR makes it very clear that nothing was stolen from the victim, posing serious questions on the police of the state then under the MVA government headed by Uddhav Thackeray. Fact is that the state police DGP did not send any report to the Centre about the incident despite being asked and instead waited for the NIA to take up the case.

“The Central Government is of the opinion that a Scheduled Offence under the NIA Act 2008 has been committed and having regards to the gravity of the offence, and the repercussions to the national security, it is required to be investigated by the NIA in accordance with the Act,” stated the FIR.