The National Investigation Agency has taken over the investigation into the murder of Umesh Kohle in Maharashtra’s Amravati. Shocking CCTV footage of the murder outside Kohle’s medicine shop has come to the fore which shows three men attacking him with one of them going for his throat with a sharp-edged weapon. Kolhe can then be seen suddenly falling to the ground after which the attackers flee.
CCTV footage of the time of chemist #UmeshKolhe's heinous murder in #Amravati on June 6, attackers seen in bike's light. pic.twitter.com/4kCmYUATAp
— Nikhil Choudhary (@NikhilCh_) July 5, 2022
Seven people have been arrested in connection with the case so far while the police have launched a manhunt for one more suspect.
He is believed to have been attacked between 10 pm and 10:30 pm on June 21.
Kolhe was killed allegedly because he came out in support of sacked BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma’s comments on Prophet Muhammad.
Kohle was a part of a WhatsApp group named "Black Freedom", which has both Hindu and Muslim members.
He is reported to have made some comments in support of Nupur Sharma. The post was shared by his friend and customer Yousuf Khan, a veterinary doctor, on other WhatsApp groups. One of these WhatsApp groups was "Kalim Ibrahim".
Irfan Khan, a member of this group, was enraged by the comments and hatched a plan with five other members to kill Kohle, according to the police.
Yousuf Khan, who runs an NGO called "Rehbar" to help Muslim families, even visited Kolhe's family during his funeral.
Irfan Khan and Yousuf Khan are among the seven men arrested for Kolhe's murder.