Muslim cleric arrested in India over murder of extremist Hindu leader involved in blasphemy
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NEW DELHI - Right-wing leader Kamlesh Tiwari was shot dead in broad daylight by assailants at his home in Lucknow on 18 October.
In a joint operation by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and the Uttar Pradesh Police link, six people including a Muslim cleric have been held for their alleged involvement in the killing of prominent Hindu leader Kamlesh Tiwari in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, Sputnik has reported.
According to Gujarat ATS, the murder plot was hatched in Dubai and the murder weapon, recovered from the spot, was bought in Surat.
"We found a sweet box at the incident spot and we found many clues in it. I spoke to the Gujarat DGP and we have sent our team there. There is a strong coordination between the Gujarat police and us," said a Uttar Pradesh police officer at a press conference on Saturday morning.
Tiwari had been facing death threats since 2015 over his allegedly inflammatory remarks about Muslims and the Prophet Mohammed.
In the incident, which has sparked massive outrage, two men and a woman entered Tiwari’s house in saffron - coloured clothing and carried a box of sweets on the pretext of a Diwali offering. Soon after walking in, the assailants opened the box, took out a firearm, sprayed Tiwari with bullets and fled. CCTV footage was recovered by the police.
Following a complaint against the two clerics by Tiwari’s widow, Maulana Anwarul Haque has been taken into custody for questioning.
In 2016, Mufti Naseem Qazmi publicly announced a reward of Rs 51 lakh on Tiwari’s head while Haque announced an award of Rs 1.5 crore for the beheading of Kamlesh Tiwari over his controversial statements against the Prophet.
