In the Amravati chemist murder case, a special court has sent the seven people arrested in connection with it to NIA custody till July 15. Chemist Umesh Kolhe was murdered for supporting the the controversial remarks of suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma.

Earlier, all the accused were brought to Mumbai from Amravati. Umesh Kolhe, who ran a drugstore in Amravati, was murdered on the night of June 21 while returning home. Police initially probing the case claimed that Kolhe was killed for sharing posts in some WhatsApp groups supporting the controversial remarks of Nupur Sharma about Prophet Muhammad. 

Read | Amravati murder: Here’s how a WhatsApp forward killed chemist Umesh Kolhe

National Investigation Agency (NIA) is now investigating the case. The agency produced the accused before Special Judge for NIA cases AK Lahoti here and sought their 15-day custody. The NIA said that there is evidence against the accused that they were involved in terrorist activities. However, after hearing the arguments, the court sent the accused to eight-day NIA custody.

How Umesh Kolhe was murdered?

Significantly, on the night of June 21, Umesh Kolhe was strangled to death by two men on a motorcycle in Amravati city of eastern Maharashtra. Kolhe was killed for allegedly sharing a post supporting suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma’s remarks on Prophet Muhammad.

Police investigation suggests that the deceased’s WhatsApp forwards backing Nupur Sharma had angered his friend Dr Yusuf Khan who then shared them in his community groups, leading to the fatal stabbing. After reading the posts the accused decided to take revenge on Umesh Kolhe.

The main mastermind behind the murder of Umesh Kolhe has been identified as Irfan Sheikh, owner of an NGO from Nagpur, as per police.

Pamphlets spreading hate messages recovered from the residence of the accused

During searches at the residence of the accused, pamphlets spreading hate messages, knives, mobile phones, SIM cards, memory cards and other incriminating documents were recovered. An official said that the manner in which Kolhe was killed prima facie suggests that the killers may have been ‘self-motivated’ from the Islamic State.

Investigators are also trying to find out if they have links with any foreign terrorist organisation, including the Islamic State. NIA on Wednesday conducted raids at several places in Maharashtra in connection with Kolhe’s murder. The agency has described it as ‘an act of terrorism intended to terrorise a section of people’ in the FIR.

Seven people were arrested by the Maharashtra Police before NIA took over the investigation on July 2.