shot-button
Ganesh Chaturthi Ganesh Chaturthi
Home > News > India News > Article > Amravati murder Custody of accused extended NIA says case has international ramifications

Amravati murder: Custody of accused extended, NIA says case has international ramifications

Updated on: 15 July,2022 06:43 PM IST  |  Mumbai
PTI |

The court extended the NIA custody of the seven accused arrested in the case till July 22

Amravati murder: Custody of accused extended, NIA says case has international ramifications

Umesh Kolhe was allegedly attacked with a knife by a group of three men. File pic

The murder of a pharmacist in Maharashtra's Amravati for allegedly supporting Nupur Sharma has "international ramifications", the National Investigation Agency (NIA) told a court here on Friday.


The court extended the NIA custody of the seven accused arrested in the case till July 22.


Umesh Kolhe, who ran a medical shop, was killed in the Amravati city of eastern Maharashtra on the night of June 21. Police had claimed that he was killed for sharing a post supporting suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma's controversial remarks about Prophet Mohammad.


The grisly incident preceded the similar killing of a tailor in Udaipur.

The NIA, which has taken over the probe from Amravati police, produced the accused before the special court for NIA cases here on Friday after their initial custody ended.

Also Read: Amravati killing 'larger conspiracy by a group' to promote religious enmity: NIA

The agency sought their custody for another eight days.

The case was very serious and had "national as well as international ramifications," it said, adding that the motive behind the murder was to terrorise a section of society.

The accused had entered into a conspiracy, and one more suspect was absconding, the NIA said.

The accused were needed to be taken to Rajasthan for further probe, it told the court, without mentioning the Udaipur incident.

It had obtained records of international calls received by three of the accused, the agency said, while denying the defence lawyers' claim that Kolhe's murder was the fall-out of a fight between the friends.

Defence lawyer Sharif Shaikh opposed the extension of remand, stating there were no cogent grounds. Kolhe's killing took place before the Udaipur incident, and the central agency was trying to give it a different colour, he claimed.

Advocate Ali Kaashif Khan, who represented another accused, said it was not a fit case for the application of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
After hearing the arguments, the court extended the custody of the accused.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!

Register for FREE
to continue reading !

This is not a paywall.
However, your registration helps us understand your preferences better and enables us to provide insightful and credible journalism for all our readers.

Mid-Day Web Stories

Mid-Day Web Stories

This website uses cookie or similar technologies, to enhance your browsing experience and provide personalised recommendations. By continuing to use our website, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. OK