Udaipur Tailor Murder: 'Maintain Peace,' Says Ashok Gehlot Amid Protests

Protests in Rajasthan's Rajsamand are being held despite Section 144 being imposed in the state for a month.

Rajasthan Chief Minsiter Ashok Gehlot.

(Photo: Facebook)

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, on Thursday, 30 June, appealed to religious organisations in the state to "maintain peace" as clashes erupted between pro-Hindutva protesters and cops in Rajasthan on Wednesday, 29 June, following Kanhaiya Lal's murder in Udaipur.

Protests in Rajasthan's Rajsamand were held despite Section 144 being imposed in the state for a month.

The chief minister took to Twitter to assure people that the accused in the brutal Udaipur murder case, irrespective of their religion or connections, would be brought to justice. Protests also erupted in other states including Gujarat, Karnataka, and Delhi.

Kanhaiya Lal Teli, a tailor in Rajasthan's Udaipur, was murdered by two men in the city’s Dhan Mandi area, over his social media posts allegedly supporting suspended Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma's remarks against Prophet Muhammad.

Gehlot added that the government was trying everything within its capacity to maintain law and order. He also pointed out that not only had the two accused been arrested, but an SIT had also been formed to probe the case.

Treating the murder as a terror incident, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday registered a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Moreover, the state's Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) and Special Operations Group (SOG) have been instructed to cooperate with the NIA investigation, Gehlot said.

Constable in Coma After Rajasthan Protests 

A police constable was critically injured on Wednesday, after he was attacked with a sword at a demonstration in Rajasthan's Rajsamand, against Kanhaiya's daylight killing. The constable is now in a coma.

In a video, shared by news agency ANI, the injured constable is seen being taken away by two police officers while another cop is trying to stop the blood from oozing.

Meanwhile, other police personnel are seen rushing to prevent protesters from “heading towards sensitive areas”.

The Case So Far

Two men, claiming to be the murderers, posted a video message and sent out a threat to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The video of the brutal murder was also shared on social media.

Both the accused, Gaus Mohammad and Mohammad Riyaz Akhtari, were arrested by the Rajasthan Police on Tuesday evening.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday registered a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The state police will assist the agency in the probe.

The MHA said that possible international links and involvement of terrorist organisations in the case would be thoroughly investigated.

Three more men, with whom the main accused were in contact, have been taken into custody.

Rajasthan DGP ML Lather said on Wednesday that co-accused Gaus Mohammad has links with the Pakistan-based Dawat-e-Islami organisation.

It has emerged that Kanhaiya Lal had previously submitted a written complaint saying that he was receiving threat calls, and had sought police protection. His request however had gone unheeded.

After the murder, ASI Bhanwar Lal posted at Dhan Mandi police station was suspended for negligence.

A statewide alert has been issued to all superintendents of police and inspectors general to increase the mobility of police forces and ensure the heavy presence of officers on the ground.

The killing has drawn condemnation from all quarters, including politicians, international NGOs, intellectuals and religious bodies, with the latter calling it "un-Islamic".

(With inputs from ANI.)