Reacting to the killing, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot said, “I condemn the heinous murder of a youth in Udaipur. Strict action will be taken against all the criminals.”
Udaipur: Prohibitory orders have been imposed in Rajasthan for a month, and Internet services cut for 24 hours across the state, after two men hacked a tailor to death inside his shop in Udaipur on Tuesday — and posted a video online of the incident claiming it was in retaliation for the victim sharing remarks made by BJP’s Nupur Sharma on the Prophet.
The police identified the victim as Kanhaiya Lal. His body was removed from the spot only late at night after protesters stalled the authorities while demanding action and compensation for his family.
The assailants identified themselves in another video as Mohammad Riyaz and Ghouse Mohammad, boasted about the “beheading” — and issued death threats to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sharma. Riyaz and Mohammad, both residents of Udaipur, were arrested from Bhim in Rajsamand district.
The incident triggered arson and protests in Udaipur, prompted the Union Home Ministry to send a team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to the city to “explore” if there was a “terror angle”, and led to security concerns in other states such as Maharashtra.
The video of the incident posted by the assailants shows Lal, who ran Supreme Tailors in Udaipur’s Hathi Pole locality, taking measurements of one of them who later identified himself as Riyaz. Moments later, it shows the man attacking the tailor on his neck with a cleaver even as the victim asks: “Kya hua? Batao toh sahi (What happened? Tell me)”.
According to the police, Lal had claimed earlier that his son had “mistakenly” posted an “objectionable comment” on Facebook while playing a game on his phone. He also claimed that he had no knowledge of the post until some local residents questioned him.
“This murder has been committed for ideological reasons, in the name of religion. The NIA will explore if there is any angle of terrorism and provide whatever assistance required to the state police,” a senior Central Government official said. The NIA can take over such cases only after laws related to terrorism, or other offences as mentioned in its schedule, are invoked.
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