Agra Muslim Man Murder: Cops Shoot, Arrest Two, Person who Linked Event to Pahalgam Attack Also Held

New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh police have arrested three persons, including a man who had posed as a gau rakshak and posted a video on social media claiming responsibility for the murder of a Muslim restaurant worker in Agra in retaliation for the Pahalgam killings. Police also arrested two out of the three persons who had allegedly shot dead Gulfam and injured his cousin Saif Ali on the night of April 23.

The two accused persons, identified as Shivam Baghel (20) and Priyansh Yadav (21), were arrested after being shot in the leg in an alleged “encounter,” on April 28, said police, adding that two .315 bore country-made pistols were recovered from them. A third accused person, Pushpendra Baghel, is still absconding.

Manoj Chaudhary, the man who had uploaded a video on instagram taking credit for the shooting of Gulfam and Saif, was also arrested after being booked for committing deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings.

Agra police said that Chaudhary had uploaded the video, in which he had claimed to be a member of “Kshatriya Gau Raksha Dal,” only to “divert attention” with the wilful aim of spoiling communal harmony.” The murder had no connection with the Pahalgam attacks and took place due to a financial dispute that the three main accused persons had with Gulfam at the biryani eatery a couple of days before the incident, said police.

Deepak Kumar, Commissioner of Police, Agra, said that Chaudhary, who has no links to any of the Kshatriya organisations had tried to link the murder to an alleged Kshatriya Gau Rakshak Dal.

Police say accused shot Gulfam over previous dispute

The senior officer, in a press conference, said that the three persons shot Gulfam over a previous dispute they had with him at the eatery over money. The dispute was so minor that none of the sides decided to approach police over it, he said. The accused persons did not make any comments linked to “caste or religion,” as testified by the witness in the case, Saif, said Kumar.

Agra police alleged that Pushpendra Baghel shot Gulfam while Shivam Baghel fired at Saif. Priyansh Yadav shot a video of the incident. The three accused persons are natives of the same village in Agra and made a living doing petty jobs.

Chaudhary has a criminal record. In 2017, he was accused of murder. After the shooting was reported on April 23, a video started circulating on social media in which a person identifying himself as Manoj Chaudhary, an alleged member of the Kshatriya Gau Raksha Dal, said he had killed two Muslims in Agra. He said it was to avenge the Pahalgam killings.

“Two k#### (slur) were killed in Taj city Agra. Kshatriya Gau Raksha Dal takes responsibility for this. We take an oath over Bharat Mata, that if we do not avenge 26 with 2,600 I am not a son of Bharat Mata. Jai Shri Ram, Jai Hindu Rashtra,” said Chaudhary, who was armed with knives and a pistol was heard saying in the video. His associate, whose identity was not known, also carried similar weapons.

Also Read: Muslim Man in Agra Shot Dead, Another Injured; Police Denies Link to Pahalgam Attack

After the video started being widely circulated, Agra police issued a statement saying that no such outfit called the Kshatriya Gau Raksha Dal was active in Agra. Police had also denied reports that Gulfam and Saif Ali were targetted after the suspects asked for their names and religion.

Thereafter, police had booked Chaudhary under section 299 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (acts intended to outrage religious feelings) and section 66 of the Information Technology Act.

Manoj Chaudhary after his arrest. Photo: Agra police

Even after knowing about the murder Chaudhary, keeping in mind the recent protests in Agra by the Kshatriya Karni Sena, intentionally named the Kshatriya Gau Raksha Dal and linked it to the Pahalgam killings, said police.

Agra police also said that after the “misleading” information was widely shared on social media and other microblogging sites, they received comments from across the world and an attempt was made to spoil communal harmony.

The police are probing all the social media handles that made “irresponsible posts and comments” following their incident. Their role will be included in the investigation, said police.

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