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Kishan Bharvad | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Died | 25 January 2022 |
| Cause of death | Shot twice by Islamists |
| Children | 1 |
Kishan Bharvad [1] , also known as Kishan Boliya [2] [3] , a 30-year-old Hindu shopowner, [4] was shot dead by Shabbir and Imtiaz in the Modhwala locality in the city of Dhandhuka in Gujarat, India on 25 January 2022, allegedly in retaliation for a Facebook post concerning religious figures. [5] [6] [7] [8] The two accused were arrested by the police. [8] The investigation was subsequently handed over to the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), which invoked the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against two clerics for alleged conspiracy, and was later joined by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). [9] [10]
On 6 January 2022, Kishan had posted a video on social media in which the Hindu deity Krishna was depicted as "superior" to Islamic Prophet Muhammad and Jesus. [9] Shortly after this social media post, there was outrage by some members of Muslim community and a First information report (FIR) was filed on him under the incitement/blasphemy Law 8 days before the murder. [8]
At 5:30 on 25 January, as Kishan had moved outside his house for the first time since his release from police custody, he was shot by 2 bike-borne assailants later identified as Shabbir and Imtiaz by Gujarat Police. [7] [9] Kishan died on the spot. Later, when the police tried to return the body to the family but they refused and only accepted the body and funeral proposals after meeting Hindu Organization leaders in the area. [8] [7] Leaders from the Antarashtriya Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal organized Bandh as a form of protest saying that the Hindu Youth was Martyred. [8]
Following the murder, tension prevailed in Dhandhuka as the Vishva Hindu Parishad observed a bandh on January 27 to protest the murder. [11]
Protest demonstrations demanding capital punishment for the perpetrators were organized by several right-wing groups in numerous districts across Gujarat, including Rajkot, Morbi, Banaskantha, and Vadodara. The protests turned violent in Rajkot and Chhota Udepur, prompting police in several districts to issue advisories appealing for peace. [12]
At least 86 citizens submitted a letter to Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, calling for action against "inflammatory hate messaging on social media and public calls for violence against Muslims." [13]
On 27 January, Maulana Ayyub, a Muslim Cleric, was arrested in Ahmadabad, Gujarat. On 29 January, the Gujarat Government handed this case over to the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) for further investigation. Terming the murder an "act of terror" and part of a "conspiracy" to "target all those who post anti-Islam stories" on social media or otherwise, the ATS invoked the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and Gujarat Control of Terrorism and Organised Crime (GujCTOC) Act against the accused. [14]
On 30 January, the ATS arrested Maulana Qamar Ghani, a Muslim Cleric, from Daryaganj, Delhi. [15] [9]
On 2 February, the Gujarat ATS invoked the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) on both clerics, Ayyub and Qamar Ghani, citing the alleged wider terror angle. According to the ATS, Maulana Qamar Ghani runs an Islamic organization called Tehreek Farogh-e Islami. This organization has circulated videos in pasts encouraging Muslim youth to attack non-Muslims who "insult" Islam. [16] [17] On the same day, 3 more people were arrested. Razeem Seta, Hussain Khatri and Matin Modan were arrested for allegedly procuring the weapon and providing food and shelter to the accused. [18]
On 4 February, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) joined the investigation of the murder to investigate the possible terror angle. The ATS denied finding any Pakistani angle in the case. [10]
On 7 February, the ATS released the information that Maulana Ayyub had profiles of 26 individuals in his mobile that might be targeted in the future. [19] On the same day, the 3 main accused were sent in for extra 10 days of remand. According to the ATS, they are currently investigating a list of 10 persons who had allegedly insulted Islam. [4]
On 16 February, Maulana Qamar was sent to judicial custody. [20]
On 10 April 2023, Maulana Qamar's bail appeal was rejected by the Supreme Court of India. [21]
More than a year after the incident, in March 2023, Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi cited the ballistic analysis from the murder during a response in the Gujarat Assembly. He highlighted the case as a primary example of the state Forensic Science Laboratory's (FSL) effectiveness, stating the FSL report "sealed the fate of the accused." [22]
On February 27, 2024, the Supreme Court dismissed a review petition filed by Usmani regarding the earlier bail order, confirming the ongoing nature of the legal proceedings. [23] The Supreme Court's 2023 judgment on the accused's default bail plea also received analysis in legal publications, which examined its implications for procedural law under the UAPA and CrPC. [24]