A 27-year-old man named Kishan Boliya was allegedly shot dead on Tuesday, 25 January, by bike-borne assailants in Gujarat’s Dhandhuka town over a Facebook post uploaded on 6 January in which he had made objectionable remarks against a religion.
So far, police have arrested four persons, including two maulanas (Muslim clerics) for the murder.
The arrested have been identified as Dhandhuka residents, 24-year-old Sabbir Chopda and 27-year-old Imtiyaz Pathan, and Maulana Mohammad Ayub Javarawala, a resident of Jamalpur in Ahmedabad, NDTV reported.
While Chopda, Pathan, and Javarawala were arrested on Friday, 28 January, Gujarat’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested Maulvi Kamargani Usmani from Delhi on Sunday.
Police claims that Chopda and Pathan shot Kishan, and Javarawala had allegedly provided the pistol and cartridges to the two.
About Usmani, ATS Superintendent of Police Imtiaz Shaikh claimed that Chopda was in touch with Usmani through Instagram, adding that the arrested cleric ran a social organisation and instigated youth from the community to take action against those who insult Prophet Mohammad.
As per the ATS SP, Usmani had directed Chopda to get in touch with Javrawala for action against Boliya.
Before the incident, members of the Muslim community had filed a police complaint claiming the post hurt their religious sentiments.
A senior police official at Ahmedabad (rural) said, “The deceased had posted a Facebook update on 6 January 2022, in which he had written objectionable comments against a religion. An FIR was lodged against Boliya then at the Dhandhuka police station after a complaint. After Boliya received bail, the duo (Chopda and Pathan) made up their mind to kill him and was provided with the gun and ammunition by the Maulana," Indian Express reported.
On Thursday, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad called for a bandh in Dhandhuka. A day later, Ranpur, adjoining Botad, also observed a bandh to protest the murder.
Meanwhile, Gujarat cabinet ministers Harsh Sanghavi and Kiritsinh Rana visited the family members of the deceased in Surendranagar on Friday, and assured them of speedy justice in the case.
Sanghavi, the Minister of State for Home, had said on Friday, “After Kishan was murdered, the Ahmedabad police formed separate teams and nabbed the accused within 24 hours. The state government is monitoring the case and is actively working to ensure justice to Kishan…In order to ensure that this case is investigated appropriately, Gujarat ATS and Ahmedabad Crime Branch have been investigating the case from different angles. The government will hire the best lawyer in the state and murderers of Kishan will be punished," Indian Express reported.
(With inputs from NDTV and The Indian Express.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)