The murder of a tailor, Kanhaiya Lal, has sparked tension in Udaipur. The gruesome killing that was recorded on camera by the assailants is being treated as a terror incident and large gatherings have been banned across Rajasthan for a month.
Both the killers seen on camera – Gos Mohammad and Riyaz Akhtari – have been arrested, and a special investigation team (SIT) has been asked to investigate the incident.
Gos Mohammad and Riyaz Akhtari had entered Kanhaiya Lal’s shop posing as customers. A video shot by them shows the tailor taking measurements of one of the men, who then slits his throat with a cleaver. Police said they first tried to behead the tailor but couldn’t.
In another video, the killers are seen gloating about the murder and issuing a threat to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as they brandish their cleavers.
The centre is treating the murder as a terror incident and a National Investigation Agency team has been sent to Udaipur after preliminary information suggested that the killers could have had links with ISIS, officials have said.
About 600 extra troops have been deployed in the city to avoid any untoward incident. Curfew was imposed in parts of Udaipur last night after stray incidents of violence were reported from some areas.
Kanhaiya Lal had expressed support on social media for the former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, whose controversial remarks on Prophet Mohammed had set off a huge controversy at home and abroad.
He was recently arrested over a post on social media in support of Nupur Sharma. On June 15, while he was on bail, he told the police that he was receiving threat calls.
The officials then called both parties to the police station and the matter was resolved. Police say they are investigating the role of community leaders who had intervened in the matter.
An Assistant Sub Inspector at Dhan Mandi police station in Udaipur, where the tailor had reported his concerns over the threat calls, has been suspended for negligence, officials said.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in a series of tweets urged the citizens to maintain peace and assured quick and strict action against the killers. Several politicians, including Rahul Gandhi, Shashi Tharoor, Arvind Kejriwal and Anurag Thakur, have condemned the incident.