It has been revealed recently that a post in support of Bharatiya Janata Party’s former spokesperson Nupur Sharma might have led to the murder of Umesh Kolhe in Amravati on June 21. His post was forwarded by his close friend and veterinarian by profession Dr Yusuf Khan. As per Kolhe’s family, Yusuf was a good friend who would invite Kolhe to family functions. They have known each other for over 16 years. Yusuf had shared Kolhe’s post in message groups of his community that might have led to his murder.
During the investigation, the Police found that Kolhe was not the only one who was targeted by the Islamists. Before him, three more people had received death threats. They were forced to record apology videos. One of the victims was convinced by the Police to file a formal complaint. A separate investigation has been initiated into the matter.
According to a report in the Times of India, Yusuf told the investigating officers that he was jealous of Kolhe’s success. TOI quoted an unnamed source who said, “Yusuf was offended that while Kolhe prospered due to customers from his community, he backstabbed them by badmouthing the prophet and supporting those who insulted him.”
Kolhe’s family was unaware of the threats issued to him or others. Notably, Amravati Police faced strong criticism for terming the murder as a case of robbery during the initial investigation. BJP has alleged that the real motives were hidden by the Police due to political reasons.
The case will be investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) as per the orders of the Ministry of Home Affairs. The case was officially handed over to the central investigation agency on Monday. As per the sources, after the murder, the Police recorded the statements of Kolhe’s family and relatives. They also scrutinized his cellphone but did not mention threats anywhere.
On July 1, Dr Yusuf was arrested by the Police during questioning for the third time after they found out he had forwarded Kolhe’s post. The family was shocked to learn about his role in the murder. It is noteworthy that Yusuf had attended Kolhe’s funeral.
Reports suggest that Kolhe had created a WhatsApp group for veterinarians. Yusuf was a member of the group. He had forwarded some messages in support of Nupur Sharma and other issues, including Love Jihad. Those messages were forwarded by Yusuf to his community groups.
The mastermind of the murder, Sheikh Irfan Khan, was irked by the messages, and he planned to murder Kolhe with others. Khan runs an NGO, and the Police are also investigating its funding. As per the reports, Khan funded and provided logistics for the murder.
Multiple arrests have been made in the case, and the security of Kolhe’s family has been increased.
