In Rajasthan’s Dhanmondi police station area, two persons allegedly slit a tailor’s throat on Monday. They posted a video on social media saying that he did this to avenge the ‘insult to Islam.’ After the incident, a curfew was imposed in 7 police station areas of Udaipur until further orders at 8 pm. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has appealed to the public to maintain peace.
Chief Secretary Usha Sharma held a high-level meeting on Tuesday evening. She directed all the Divisional Commissioners, Inspector Generals of Police, and District Magistrates to take special vigil across the state. In a view to maintaining law and order, the Chief Secretary directed to shut down the internet for the next 24 hours across the state, implement section 144 in all the districts for the next one month, cancel the leave of all the officers of police and administration, peace committee meeting. Instructions have been given to organize and impose a curfew per requirement in the Udaipur district.
The Chief Secretary has directed all the Divisional Commissioners to strictly stop the spread of the video of the Udaipur incident through mobile and other means, as well as ensure that action should be taken against the people broadcasting the video as per rules.
The Center is treating the brutal murder of a tailor in Udaipur on Tuesday as a terrorist attack and sent an investigation team comprising officials of the anti-terror agency NIA as preliminary information suggested that the attackers have links with ISIS.
Officials said the probe team would thoroughly investigate the matter and background check the two arrested accused. A senior official said, “Prima facie, it appears to be a terror case, and it needs a thorough investigation, including scanning their social media profiles.”
“The case is likely to be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for investigation after a case is registered under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. Curfew has been imposed in Udaipur city after the incident created communal tension.
In the video clip, an alleged assailant can be heard saying he has beheaded a man. He also threatened Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that “his knife will reach him (Modi) also.”
The accused of murder in broad daylight posted the video confessing to the crime, and they were taken into custody by the police. One of them identified himself as Riyaz Akhtari.
Akhtari has links with Pakistan-based Dawat-e-Islami, which also has branches in India. Some members of Dawat-e-Islami were involved in several terror incidents, including the killing of Pakistan’s Punjab province governor Salman Taseer in 2011. According to the police, the accused were nabbed in the Bhim area of Rajsamand district.
Rajsamand Superintendent of Police Sudhir Choudhary said that both accused tried to escape on a motorcycle wearing helmets but were caught during the blockade in the Bhima area. “We have confirmed the identity of the accused. Ten teams were deployed in search of the accused.
The local police recently arrested Tailor Kanhaiya Lal for making some comments on social media. After getting bail, the tailor told the police on June 15 that he was getting threatening calls. Following the murder incident, the police suspended an assistant sub-inspector for negligence at the time of the complaint.
According to the video on social media, both accused reached the tailor’s shop in the afternoon in the Dhanmondi police station area. One of them has named his name Riyaz. He described himself as a customer, and Tailor started taking his measurements. During this, he attacked Tailor, while the other accused made a video of the incident from a mobile phone.
According to the video, while Tailor was taking measurements and writing, Riyaz suddenly attacked him with a sharp weapon, killing him on the spot. After the incident, both the accused fled from the spot, and later in another video, they confirmed the crime.
After the incident came to light, shops in local markets were closed in protest. The shopkeepers stopped the police from taking Kanhaiyalal’s body. They said that they would allow the body to be taken only after the arrest of the killers and announcement of compensation of Rs 50 lakh and a government job to the deceased’s family.
Chief Minister Gehlot appealed to the public to maintain peace on Twitter and asked not to share the video. “The guilty will not be spared,” he told reporters in Jodhpur. The entire police force is working on this with full vigilance. I cannot imagine the outrage among the people because of the murder. We are taking action.
उदयपुर में युवक की हत्या के दोनों आरोपियों को राजसमंद से गिरफ्तार किया गया है। इस केस में अनुसंधान केस ऑफिसर स्कीम के तहत किया जाएगा एवं त्वरित अनुसंधान सुनिश्चित कर अपराधियों को न्यायालय कड़ी से कड़ी सजा दिलवाई जाएगी। मैं पुन: सभी से शान्ति बनाए रखने की अपील करता हूं।
— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) June 28, 2022
Udaipur superintendent of police Manoj Kumar also promised strict action. He said, “There has been a brutal murder. It appears to be a planned murder. We are discussing the demands of the relatives of the deceased. Strict action will be taken against the criminals. I appeal to the people to maintain peace.
Meanwhile, in another tweet, the Chief Minister said, “Both the accused in the murder of a youth in Udaipur have been arrested from Rajsamand. In this case, the research will be done under the Case Officer Scheme, and the criminals will be given the harshest punishment from the court by ensuring a speedy investigation. I again appeal to everyone to maintain peace.
Gehlot said there is communal tension in the country, and the Prime Minister should address the public. He said both Hindus and Muslims are worried. Reacting sharply to the incident, BJP state president Satish Poonia said it resulted from “appeasement politics” of the state government led by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. He said to watch the video. The people who went had threatened the tailor on June 17. He claimed, “The victim had demanded protection, but the police did not.” Poonia said this shows the apathy of the state government.
Satish Poonia said, ‘The situation in Rajasthan is such that Hindus are being attacked and killed in many places. This is happening because of the politics of appeasement of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
Dhanmondi SHO Govind Singh said that Tailor had made an alleged controversial statement on social media a few days ago, after which he was arrested. However, Singh did not give many details about the controversial statement.
Condemning the incident, former Congress President Rahul Gandhi said that vandalism in the name of religion could not be tolerated and those spreading terror should be punished severely. Brutalism in the name of religion cannot be tolerated. Those who spread terror with such cruelty should be punished immediately.
