Maharashtra: Amravati chemist’s throat slit, police suspect killing over social media post supporting Nupur Sharma

Barely a week after after the gruesome killing of a tailor in Rajasthan’s Udaipur for allegedly supporting BJP’s Nupur Sharma on social media, a chemist in Maharashtra is believed to have been murdered over the same reason.

Umesh Prahladrao Kolhe — a 54-year-old veterinary chemist — was killed in Amravati district on June 21. Preliminary investigation has led to police believe that Kolhe was killed in retaliation of a social media post supporting Nupur Sharma, whose remarks on Prophet Mohammed in a TV debate led to nationwide protests and global condemnation, reported The Indian Express.

The preliminary investigation into the murder by Amravati’s City Kotwali Police Station following a compliant by Umesh Kolhe’s son Sanket led to the arrest of five persons — Muddsir Ahmed (22), Shahrukh Pathan (25), Abdul Thoufik (24), Shoaib Khan (22) and Atib Rashid (22). One hamim Ahmed Firoz Ahmed is absconding.

Umesh Kolhe was on his way back home on June 21 after closing his shop ‘Amit Medical Store’ at around 10:30 pm. He was accompanied by his wife and son on another scooter.

Two motorcycle-borne assailants intercepted Umesh near Mahila College New High School’s gate and one of them stabbed him on his neck. Sanket and his mother started shouted for help as another man came and three perpetrators fled the spot. Kolhe was rushed to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

The Indian Express quoted a police official saying that the five arrested accused revealed they sought help of another accused who provided them with a car and Rs 10,000 to run away.

The official said the absconding accused had assigned specific tasks to these five for the murder. While two of them were asked to keep an eye on Kolhe, the other three were to be alerted by the two when he left the medical store.

“During investigation we learnt that Kolhe had circulated a social media post supporting Nupur Sharma on WhatsApp. By mistake, he posted the message on a group with Muslim members who were also his customers. One of the arrested accused said this was an insult to the Prophet and hence he must die,” a sources was quoted by The Indian Express as saying.

The police have seized the murder weapon (a knife), mobile phones and vehicle used for the crime. The mobile phones have been sent to the DFSL for scrutiny of technical evidence while bank accounts of all arrested accused are also being scanned.

Sanket said that he heard about his father being murdered over a a social media, “but I checked his Facebook profile and did not find anything objectionable.”

BJP state spokesperson Shivaray Kulkarni met Amravati CP Aarti Singh last week, seeking clarification on the motive behind Kolhe’s murder. SP Singh said police are exploring all angles behind the murder. “Motive is still not clear. Our investigation is one,” she said.