NIA gets custody of all accused in Amravati Chemist’s killing
5 July, 2022 | Riya Girdhar
The accused are expected to appear in the NIA's Mumbai court on or before July 8.
According to a police official, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken custody of all seven suspects in the murder of Amravati-based chemist Umesh Kolhe.
The NIA took custody of all the accused, who were granted four days’ transit remand after appearing in court in Amravati on Monday, he said.
The accused are expected to appear in the NIA’s Mumbai court on or before July 8, according to the official.
During the investigation, Amravati police discovered inks between social media posts supporting former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma and Umesh’s murder and did not suppress the case, according to police commissioner Arti Singh on Monday.
According to her, police withheld the information earlier due to the “very sensitive” nature of the murder case and to avoid any untoward incident.
Muddasar Ahmad (22), Shahrukh Pathan (25), Abdul Taufiq (24), Shoaib Khan (22), Atib Rashid (22), Yusuf Khan (32) and alleged mastermind Shaikh Irfan Shaikh Rahim are among the seven.
In connection with the case, police are looking for another suspect, Shamim Ahmed. A group of three men fatally stabbed Umesh with a knife between 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. on June 21. He died in the hospital while receiving treatment. He had shared a social media post in support of an ex spokesperson, who had made a remark about religion during a TV debate.