Udaipur tailor murder: NIA suspects role of ‘terror gang, not terror outfit’ in beheading incident

A day after taking over the brutal murder of a tailor in Udaipur, who was hacked to death inside his shop by two men on Tuesday, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday said it suspects the role of a "terror gang and not a terror outfit".

The anti-terror agency, however, made it clear that there is a role of a bigger gang behind the brutal killing and that it was not just an act done by only two persons, who were arrested by state police after the incident.

The Central agency also denied reports of some media outlets regarding the involvement of a few terror outfits, saying "all are based on speculation."

"There will be many group members of the accused. It is not just two. There will be a bigger group. The preliminary inquiry suggested that there may not be any terrorist group involved in the murder but a terror gang. Some media reports about the links of the two accused with some terrorist outfit are based on speculation," a senior NIA officer said.

The agency also mentioned that the accused Riyaz Akhtari and Ghouse Mohammad will be presented in a special NIA court in Jaipur on Friday. As per the agency, the accused, both residents of Udaipur, will be questioned at NIA’s Jaipur office and not be brought to Delhi.

NIA’s six to 10-member team under the supervision of an Inspector General and a Deputy Inspector General rank officer is probing the matter, and a series of raids will be conducted as per inputs, said the officer.

NIA on Wednesday took over the investigation of the brutal murder of a tailor Kanhaiya Lal, the tailor, in Rajasthan’s Udaipur who was hacked to death inside his shop by two men in broad daylight.

The anti-terror agency has filed a First Information Report (FIR) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act as well as various sections of the Indian Penal Code. The move comes soon after the Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday directed the NIA to take over the investigation of the case that shocked people across the country.

Making the announcement through its official Twitter handle, Home Ministry Office (HMO) had said "MHA has directed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to take over the investigation of the brutal murder of Shri Kanhaiya Lal Teli committed at Udaipur, Rajasthan yesterday".

In the tweet, the HMO has also mentioned that "the involvement of any organization and international links will be thoroughly investigated". The incident took place in Udaipur’s Maldas area.

Soon after committing the crime, the two accused posted a video on social media boasting about the "beheading" and threatened Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s life as well, police said. The two accused were arrested within hours of the incident.

The assailants identified themselves in the video as Riyaz Akhtari and Ghouse Mohammad. In the video, Riyaz was seen attacking 47-year-old Kanhaiya Lal with a sharp-edged weapon while the other, Ghouse, recorded the crime on his mobile phone.

The victim reportedly had recently shared a social media post in support of Nupur Sharma-- former BJP leader who had made controversial remarks against Prophet Mohammad.

Riyaz and Ghouse were arrested from Bhim in the Rajsamand district. Following the murder, local markets in the area were shut as the traders demanded justice for the victim.

Internet services were suspended in Udaipur and a curfew has been imposed. A statewide alert had also been issued to all SPs and IGs to increase the mobility of forces and to maintain officers on the ground.

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