‘Bol nashe mein tha…’: Ajmer DSP tutors cleric arrested for call to 'behead' Nupur Sharma, video goes viral

Ajmer DSP Sandeep Saraswat has been put on APO (Awaiting Posting Order) by Rajasthan Police for allegedly suggesting the arrested cleric of Ajmer Dargah a way to evade prosecution. 

This comes a day after the cleric — Salman Chishti — was arrested for allegedly offering his house on camera to anyone who beheads now-suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma for her remarks on Prophet Mohammad. 

After Chishti’s arrest, a video went viral in which Saraswat was seen tutoring ‘khadim’ Salman Chishti, telling him to say in his statement that he was intoxicated when he called for Sharma’s beheading. 

BJP's Amit Malviya shared a video saying the police were seen tutoring Salman Chishti, who called for Nupur Sharma’s beheading. "In this video, Ashok Gehlot’s police are seen tutoring Salman Chishti, who called for Nupur Sharma’s beheading, to claim that he made the statement in an inebriated condition, so that he can be saved. Do #HinduLivesMatter in Congress rule? RJ police could have averted Udaipur too," he said.

In this video, Ashok Gehlot’s police is seen tutoring Salman Chishti, who called for Nupur Sharma’s beheading, to claim that he made the statement in an inebriated condition, so that he can be saved. Do #HinduLivesMatter in Congress rule? RJ police could have averted Udaipur too. pic.twitter.com/a33zZxIYgn

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) July 6, 2022

Malviya shared another video in which Additional Superintendent of Police Vikas Sangwan was saying that Chishti appeared to be in an inebriated condition. The BJP leader, however, said that Chisti can be heard saying, "I don't drink”.

A police official said the video purportedly showing 'khadim' Salman Chisti was shot before tailor Kanhaiya Lal's murder in Udaipur on June 28 but surfaced on the internet later. 

Officials also said the cleric is a "history-sheeter" and that he might have recorded the video in an inebriated condition. The Ajmer police had registered an FIR against him on Monday night.

In the video, the cleric is purportedly seen and heard announcing he would gift his house to anyone who brings Sharma's head to him. Chishti is also allegedly heard saying he would shoot her dead for insulting the Prophet.

"You have to give a reply to all Muslim countries. I am saying this from Ajmer, Rajasthan, and this message is from Huzur Khwaja Baba ka darbar," he purportedly says in the video, referring to the Sufi shrine that sees many Hindu visitors, apart from Muslim devotees.

Last week, four people were arrested in connection with another provocative speech allegedly delivered at the main gate of the Ajmer dargah on June 17. 

Though that video was in circulation earlier, the arrests were made following the killing of Kanhaiya Lal by two men, who said they were avenging an insult to Islam. 

The two men were, however, caught by the police when they were fleeing on a motorcycle in Rajsamand. In all, five people have been arrested in connection with the murder case, which is being handled by the National Investigation Agency.