MHA directs NIA probe into Udaipur beheading: Updates in 10 points

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday directed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to take over the investigation of the brutal murder of Kanhaiya Lal Teli executed in Udaipur yesterday.

Udaipur: The gruesome murder of a tailor in Udaipur for supporting suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma has stirred the nation. Committed by two men claiming to teach a lesson to the victim, the murder recorded on camera by the assailants will be probed by the NIA as directed by the Union Home Ministry today.

Here are the top 10 developments in the case

1. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) took over the investigation of the brutal murder and filed an FIR under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act as well as various sections of the Indian Penal Code after the Union Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday directed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to take over the investigation. The Home Minister's office had further given an official reassurance that the involvement of any organization and international links in the matter will be thoroughly investigated.
2. The BJP, reacting to the matter, blamed the incident on the incompetency of the Rajasthan government. "The manner in which the state government of Rajasthan has acted in the last three and a half years, it is entirely responsible for this terrorist attack. This is not an isolated incident, such incidents are repetitive in Rajasthan, and such terrorist organizations are flourishing here," reads a tweet on BJP's official handle featuring Rajasthan MP Rajyavardhan Rathore who addressed the press conference.
3. Kanhaiya Lal's grieving wife said that the man had been getting constant threats on social media for the past 10-15 days and was therefore scared of even going to his shop. Narrating the ordeals of her deceased husband, the wife demanded death penalty for the murderers. 'Hang the accused. Today they have killed one of ours, tomorrow they will kill others,' she said.
4. Naveen Kumar Jindal -- the former media in charge of Delhi BJP who was expelled for his controversial comments about the Prophet of Islam -- claimed to have received death threats after the beheading. He claimed to have received an email with Kanhaiya's beheading video in it, with a threat implying that Jindal too shall be murdered in the same way.
5. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot held a high-level meeting with officials regarding the law and order situation in the state. Post the killing, a curfew was imposed in the sensitive parts of Udaipur last night, with around 600 personnel deployed across the city. Internet services were also suspended. The local traders at the Dhan Mandi market in Udaipur also staged protests, keeping the shops closed for the day.
6. The mortal remains of the victim Kanhaiya Lal reached his native place for the final rites in Udaipur's Malda street area. The place has attracted a massive crowd with his inconsolable family and enraged locals seeking justice for Kanhaiya.
7. Rajasthan LoP Gulab Chand Kataria blamed the incident on the police opining that 'the police should've provided protection when he (Kanhaiya) asked for it and after his shop was closed for 4-5 days.' "It was a 100% failure of police," he said. Kataria had earlier reached the MB Government Hospital in Udaipur to meet the bereaved family.
8. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took to Twitter to condemn the killing, underlining that violence and extremism are unacceptable. "Violence and extremism are unacceptable, no matter what! I strongly condemn what happened in Udaipur. As law takes its own course of action, I urge everyone to maintain peace," read Banerjee's tweet.
9. Meanwhile, AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi also reacted to the incident, expressing his strong condemnation of the incident. "I strongly condemn the Udaipur incident. We hope the Rajasthan govt takes strict action. Had the police been more alert, this wouldn't have happened," he said. Several Muslim organizations including Mushawarat and Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind among others have also condemned the horrific incident.
10. The tailor Kanhaiya Lal was beheaded inside his shop at Dhan Mandi market on Tuesday for his support to BJP leader Nupur Sharma for her controversial tweets about the Prophet of Islam. The accused Gos Mohammed and Riyaz Akhtari -- who videotaped the heinous crime -- were arrested hours after they committed the murder and are currently lodged at an undisclosed place as the interrogation progresses. Akhtari's links have been traced to Pakistan-based Dawat-e-Islami.