NIA detains 2 suspects in Umesh Kolhe murder case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday detained two persons in connection with the killing of Umesh Kolhe (54) in the Amravati district of Maharashtra.

Kolhe was murdered on June 21 after he wrote a post in support of former BJP leader Nupur Sharma on Facebook.

The NIA has not disclosed their names as of now.

In it's FIR, the probe agency has mentioned about a group of people who hatched a conspiracy to send message to the people supporting Sharma and another BJP leader Naveen Jindal.

"They conspired to strike terror amongst a sec of people of India &with their assertions attempted to promote enmity on grounds of religion. Kolhe's murder was carried out as part of the conspiracy to "terrorize a section of the people of India," the NIA has claimed in the FIR.

The accused in the case might be having international link, it said.

Earlier, the NIA had conducted searches at 13 locations in Maharashtra which led them to the recovery of incriminating documents.

During the searches on the premises of accused and suspects, digital devices (mobile phones, SIM cards, memory cards, DVRs), pamphlets spreading hate messages, knives and other incriminating documents and materials, were seized.

The case relates to killing of a pharmacist Umesh Kolhe that took place on June 21, 2022 in Amaravati. He was killed for his social media post in which he had supported Nupur Sharma.

The case was initially registered with Police Station City Kotvali on June 22 and later on the probe was taken over by NIA on July 2.

Further investigations in the matter is on.

Notably, BJP leader Nupur Sharma was suspended from the post of party's spokesperson after her controversial comments about Prophet Muhammad had created nationwide stir in June.