Ajmer Dargah Cleric Arrested for Controversial Remarks Against Nupur Sharma

The police are also probing an alleged link between Gauhar Chishti and the killers of Udaipur tailor Kanhaiya Lal.

Ajmer Dargah Khadim Gauhar Chishti (left) and former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

Ajmer Dargah Khadim Gauhar Chishti, who had been absconding after allegedly raising controversial slogans against former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma, will be produced in court in Rajasthan's Ajmer on Friday, 15 July.

Gauhar was nabbed by the police on Thursday, 14 July from Telangana's Hyderabad and was flown to the Jaipur airport later in the day.

"Gauhar Chishti arrested by police from Hyderabad. He had raised objectionable slogans outside Dargah on 17 June," Ajmer Additional Superintendent of Police Vikas Sangwan said, as per news agency ANI.

What the Cleric Allegedly Said

The cleric was seen in a purported video allegedly raising slogans at the Ajmer Sharif Dargah against Sharma for her offensive remarks against Prophet Muhammad.

He had allegedly threatened to behead Sharma for her controversial remarks.

Apart from Gauhar, two other clerics of the dargah, namely Aadil Chisthi and Sarwar Chisthi, had also issued objectionable statements against Sharma.

While Aadil had allegedly made derogatory remarks against Hindu Gods, Sarwar had warned of a movement that would "shake India" if the Prophet was insulted.

Later, however, Sarwar participated in a peace rally in Rajasthan organised by religious leaders and called for people of different religions to live in harmony.

"It is my desire to see peace and harmony in the country. I want people of both communities to live together with peace and harmony," he said, as per ANI.

Another cleric of the dargah, Salman Chishti, was arrested on 5 July for allegedly calling for the beheading of Sharma.

Police Probing Links With Udaipur Tailor's Murder

The police are also probing an alleged link between the killers of Udaipur tailor Kanhaiya Lal, who had expressed support for Sharma, and Gauhar.

The police have claimed that the tailor's alleged killers, Gos Mohammed and Mohammed Riyaz Akhtari, were in constant touch with Gauhar. They further claimed that Gauhar had visited the accused in Udaipur merely 10 days before Lal was killed.

Sources said that the killers were on their way to Ajmer via Rajsamand to meet Gauhar after committing the murder, but they were nabbed by the police on the way.

Lal was allegedly killed on 28 June by Gos Mohammed and Riyaz Akhtari in his shop for expressing support for Sharma through a social media post.

(With inputs from ANI.)