Kanhaiya Lal was murdered Tuesday by two men who also filmed the killing
Up to 32 officers from the Indian Police Service (IPS), including the Inspector General and the Udaipur Police Superintendent, have been reassigned following the gruesome murder of seamstress Kanhaiya Lal.
Udaipur police have been heavily criticized for failing to provide security for the 48-year-old after he complained about threats over a social media post in support of suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma, whose comment on the Prophet Mohammed caused massive outrage triggered.
He was murdered Tuesday by two men who filmed the murder. Riaz Akhtari and Ghouse Mohammad later released another video bragging about the killing and threatening to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The two were arrested and five others were arrested.
The Union’s Interior Ministry has handed over the investigation of the sensitive case to the country’s top anti-terrorist agency, the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
The killers had ties to the Pakistan-based group Dawat-e-Islami and one of them also went to Karachi in 2014, investigators say.
The murder of the tailor was a planned act of terrorism involving more people, Rajasthan Police Chief ML Lather said.
“The main defendants were in contact with the Dawat-e-Islami organization. One of them also traveled to Karachi, Pakistan in 2014 to meet the organization. We consider it an act of terrorism,” he said.
Mr Lather said a deputy sub-inspector was suspended for failing to take adequate action to prevent the incident.
The two accused were brought before the court yesterday under heavy guard. The court sent her to judicial custody for 14 days.
Crowds at the courthouse in Udaipur raised slogans against the two.
Udaipur remains on alert as the curfew imposed after the horrific crime continues.
A religious procession of followers of Lord Jagannath is to be conducted today and heavy force has been used to ensure peace.
