Udaipur beheading case: Accused paid extra money to get bike number '2611'
Jul 01, 2022
Udaipur (Rajasthan) [India], July 1 : Riyaz Akhtari, an accused in the Udaipur beheading case who had links with Pakistan-based organization Dawat-e-Islami, had paid extra money to get "2611" for his motocycle's registration number, a possible reference to the date of 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
"The bike used by the accused was purchased in 2013 and a demand draft of Rs 1,000 in the name of Mohammad Riaz was submitted to the RTO, to get the number 2611 of this vehicle," said Prabhu Lal Bamnia, a Udaipur Regional Transport Office (RTO) official.
Akhtari, one of the accused of murdering tailor Kanhaiya Kumar inside his shop by two men in Udaipur in broad daylight on June 28, used the bike to escape with the other accused after the crime.
The bike has been seized by the police and is currently lying in the Dhan Mandi police station in Udaipur, the RTO official informed.
The ghastly 26/11 Mumbai attacks, which began on November 26, 2008, lasted for four days, leading to the death of 166 people and injuring over 300. 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists came to Mumbai via sea route from Pakistan and carried out a series of coordinated shooting and bombing attacks across the city on November 26, 2011. In these gruesome attacks, 9 terrorists were killed and the lone survivor, Ajmal Amir Kasab, was caught and was sentenced to death at Yerwada Central Jail in Pune in 2012.
In the video of the Udaipur beheading incident which went viral on socia media, the assailants identified themselves in the video as Riyaz Akhtari and Ghouse Mohammad. Riyaz was seen attacking 47-year-old Kanhaiya Lal with a sharp-edged weapon while the other, Ghouse, recorded the crime on his mobile phone.
The victim, Kanhaiya Lal, reportedly had recently shared a social media post in support of Nupur Sharma-- former BJP leader who had made controversial remarks against Prophet Muhammad.
Both the accused were arrested within hours of the incident. Two more than people have been arrested in connection with the Udaipur tailor beheading case.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) took over the investigation of the Udaipur beheading case and said it suspects the role of a "terror gang and not a terror outfit". The anti-terror agency has filed a First Information Report (FIR) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act as well as various sections of the Indian Penal Code.
Rajasthan Police has said that the main accused in tailor's killing were in touch with the Pakistan-based organization Dawat-e-Islami and one of them also went to Karachi in Pakistan in 2014 to meet the organization.
"Main accused were in touch with organisation Dawat-e-Islami. One of them also went to Karachi in Pakistan in 2014 to meet the organisation. We are considering it (the beheading incident) an act of terror. Case transferred to NIA, state police to assist in probe," he added.