Accused in Amravati pharmacist's murder case had set up terrorist gang, NIA claims in charge-sheet

NIA files charge-sheet in Mumbai court against 11 accused in Amravati pharmacist murder case.

Mumbai:The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday filed a charge-sheet against 11 persons in the murder case of Amravati-based pharmacist Umesh Kolhe who had shared social media posts supporting BJP leader Nupur Sharma.

The charge-sheet claimed that the accused had formed a terrorist gang to take revenge on Kolhe after he shared a WhatsApp post in support of Sharma's controversial remarks about Prophet Mohammad. The charge sheet was filed before a special NIA court here. The court allowed the probe agency's plea to continue investigation against two absconding accused.

“Investigations revealed that a criminal conspiracy was hatched by the accused persons by constituting a terrorist gang to avenge Umesh Kolhe, resident of Amravati, who had uploaded a WhatsApp post in support of allegedly controversial remarks made by Nupur Sharma. The accused working with common intentions, brutally killed Kolhe on June 21 this year at Ghantaghar in Amravati in a public area, with an aim to strike terror among the people,” the NIA said.

The NIA ruled out any foreign connection in the killing of Umesh Kolhe. Those named in the charge-sheet were Mudassir Ahmed, Shahrukh Kha, Abdul Shaikh, Mohammad Shoeb, Atib Rashid, Yusuf Khan, Irfan Khan, Abdul Arbaz, Mushifique Ahmad, Shaikh Shakil and Shahim Ahmad. All of them have been arrested.

The accused were charged under Indian Penal Code sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 302 (murder), 341 (wrongful restraint), 153 A (promoting enmity), 201 (disappearance of evidence), 506 (criminal intimidation) as well as provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The accused, working with "common intention" brutally killed Kolhe in Ghantaghar area of eastern Maharashtra's Amravati city on June 21, 2022 with an aim to strike terror among the people, the NIA said. The case was initially probed by the local police. The NIA registered a case on July 2 on the directions of the Ministry of Home Affairs