Umesh Kolhe murder case: Amravati cops begin fresh probes into threat calls

NAGPUR: After the Umesh Kolhe murder case was handed over on Monday to the National Investigating Agency (NIA) on the orders of Union home minister Amit Shah, Amravati police have started three fresh investigations into the threat calls made to various persons for posts made in support of expelled BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma and her remarks on the prophet. One doctor and two mobile phone shop owners who had received the threats are now under police protection.
Amravati police have already started questioning some of those suspected to have made the calls, or instigated other members of the community to make them, even before Kolhe’s murder on June 21.
Police have claimed three persons had received the threatening calls. Two of them had to placate the other community with apology videos. These threats and forced apologies were never reported to the police.
Police have now approached the three persons asking them to lodge complaints against the threats. Though one of the two mobile shop owners agreed to lodge a complaint, he later developed cold feet and is not cooperating with police despite being assured of security.
CP Arti Singh said police would conduct suo moto probe into various aspects of the threat calls, for which necessary permission from the court was procured. “We are trying to ascertain the real motive behind the calls,” she said.
The cops are trying to ascertain whether the callers and the mastermind behind the Kolhe murder, Irfan Khan, belonged to any common platform, or were part of different groups engaged in targeting supporters of Nupur Sharma. The call details and the other telecommunication records of several suspects are being analysed.
Police said veterinary chemist Kolhe had posted the allegedly objectionable message supporting Nupur Sharma in a WhatsApp group named ‘Black Freedom’, in which veterinarian Dr Yusuf Khan, the accused considered as the instigator, was also a member.
Khan had forwarded Kolhe’s post to a WhatsApp group known as ‘Kalim Ibrahim’, with a note underlining how the chemist had become prosperous because of the patronage of Muslim community members, but had spread objectionable remarks against their prophet.
The murder mastermind, Irfan, nabbed from Nagpur, had come across Yusuf’s post against Kolhe in the WhatsApp group ‘Kalim Ibrahim’, and started plotting to eliminate the chemist. Kolhe had not received any threat to apologise or any hint of the harm coming his way.
CP Singh has appealed to the masses to report or share with police any threats or objectionable posts. “We would keep the names of complainants or informers secret but initiate action,” said the CP.
The NIA, who will produce Yusuf and Irfan before a Mumbai court on Wednesday, will also have to produce the seven accused before the special court in Mumbai on July 8. The agency is also yet to nab the eighth accused in the case, Shamim, named by Amravati police as an active member of the assailant group.