The four accused in the gruesome Udaipur beheading case came under attack on Saturday while they were being produced before the National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Jaipur. Several lawyers started kicking, slapping and abusing the murder accused on their way out of the special court as they were being taken to the police van. While beating them up, the lawyers demanded death penalty, tearing the clothes of one of the accused, reported news agency PTI.
All the four arrested in connection with the case — main accused Riaz Akhtari and Ghouse Mohammad, and Mohsin and Asif were sent to 10-day NIA remand. The group of lawyers pounded on the murder accused despite tight security arrangement in place, with several lawyers shouting, “Pakistan Murdabad” and “Kanhaiya ke hatyaron ko fansi Do (hang the murderers of Kanhaiya).”
Udaipur tailor Kanhaiya Lal was beheaded for allegedly insulting the Islam religion following a social media post put out by him supporting the now-suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma’s derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad on national television. The main accused in the case, Riaz Akhtari and Ghouse Mohammad, walked into Lal’s shop posing as customers. When Lal was taking the measurement, Akhtari charged at Lal with a cleaver and killed him. After they fled from the scene, on motorcycle that had ‘2611’ number plate, suggestive of the 26/11 terror attacks on Mumbai back in 2008, the assailants released a video. In the video, they claimed responsibility for the beheading and even went on to threaten Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Soon after the video went viral, protests broke out in many areas of Udaipur, with several turning violent.
(With inputs from PTI)
