The National Investigation Agency (NIA) detained two suspects in connection with the murder of Umesh Kolhe in Amravati, Maharashtra, on August 3, 2022. Nine suspects have now been taken into custody in connection with the case. Umesh Kolhe, 54, was fatally stabbed on June 21, 2022, allegedly for posting on a social media platform in support of Nupur Sharma, a former Bharat Janata Party spokeswoman.

Murshid Ahmed Abdul Rashid, a 49-year-old resident of Transport Nagar, and Abdul Arbaz Abdul Salim were both detained by NIA.

According to a report of Opindia, Abdul Salim is accused of providing shelter to the other defendants in the murder case, while Abdul Rashid is accused of raising money. Irfan Khan, the case’s mastermind, rides in the car of Abdul Salim. The accused have begun being questioned by the NIA team, and it is likely that their homes will be inspected. They will also be hauled before the judge, who will hear the NIA’s custody request.

It’s important to note that seven people have currently been held by the NIA in connection with the murder of Umesh Kolhe, and on July 22 a special NIA court remanded all seven suspects to judicial detention for a period of 14 days.

The primary offender in the case, Irfan Khan, was captured in Nagpur. Irfan Khan, 35, Yusuf Khan, 44, Muddsir Ahmad, 22, Shahrukh Pathan, 25, and Abdul Thoufique are the other arrested suspects. Irfan Khan (age 35), Yusuf Khan (age 44), Muddsir Ahmad (age 22), Shahrukh Pathan (age 25), Abdul Thoufique (age 24), Shoaib Khan (age 22), and Adib Rashid are the other arrested suspects (age 22). Yusuf Khan, a veterinarian, was a friend of Umesh Kolhe, who passed away. Other defendants include wage earners. They all reside in Amravati. Seven of the eight suspects have been found so far; Shamim Ahmed is still at large.

Initially, the case was investigated by Police Station City Kotvali in Amaravati, Maharashtra. Later, the case was reregistered and the investigation was taken over by the NIA on July 2. The complaint has been filed under Sections 16, 18, and 20 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and Sections 34, 153 (A), 153 (B), 120 (B), and 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Umesh Kolhe was murdered for allegedly sharing messages supporting Nupur Sharma in WhatsApp groups. The deceased’s brother revealed that Umesh Kolhe and Veterinary Doctor Yusuf were good friends for a long time and that Yusuf is one of the suspects who sent the message shared by Umesh in other Whatsapp groups. The conspiracy was further hatched by Irfan Khan and was assigned to Maulana Mudassir Ahmed, also known as Sonu Raza Sheikh Ibrahim. Following that, Irfan Khan hired four daily wage employees who had previously worked for his NGO Shahrukh Pathan, Abdul Taufiq, Shoaib Khan, and Atib Rashid to carry out the plan.

Kolhe was stabbed in the neck on the evening of June 21 by Shoaib while coming back from his medical shop. The police initially claimed that this was a heist gone wrong, but once the Maharashtra administration changed, they acknowledged that Kohle was murdered because he supported Nupur Sharma.

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