The brutal killing of a tailor in Rajasthan’s Udaipur today by two men who also captured their barbaric act on camera and brazenly posted it on social media to brag that they had avenged an insult to Prophet Mohammed has triggered protests in the town which has been placed under curfew.

The duo has been arrested and the Centre has despatched a team of the National Investigation Agency to investigate the case as it seen as a terrorist attack.

The two killers had walked into tailor Kanhaiya Lal’s shop posing as customers who wanted to get their clothes stitched. However, while the tailor was taking the measurements of the man, he was struck on the neck with a meat cleaver by the killer and dropped dead on the spot. Meanwhile, the accomplice of the killer was filming the heinous crime on his smartphone.

The killers wanted to behead the tailor but could not severe the neck, the police said.

The two men fled and later posted the barbaric video on social media. In another video, the killers, identified as Gos Mohammad and Riyaz, bragged about the murder and issued a threat to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The tailor had been threatened several times over his social media posts in support of former BJP office-bearer Nupur Sharma, who has been suspended from the party for her comments against Prophet Muhammad.

The Union Home Ministry has dispatched a team of National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials to Udaipur in the wake of the killing of the tailor. The case is likely to be handed over to central terror investigation agency after registration of a case under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. PTI quoted an official as saying that prima-facie the murder looks like a terror attack.

The police have warned against sharing or circulating the video as it could foment further communal tension.

A force of 600 additional policemen have been moved to the city and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has appealed for calm.