Udaipur tailor's murder accused attacked outside Jaipur NIA court
The two main accused, Riaz Akhtari and Gos Mohammad, in the murder of tailor Kanhaiya Lal in Udaipur were attacked by a large crowd outside the special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Jaipur on Saturday even as there was heavy police deployment. Akhtari and Mohammad, along with two others, were produced before the court and sent to the 10-day NIA remand.
Why does this story matter?
The gruesome murder shocked everyone and invited condemnation across the country. The incident also triggered protests in different parts of Udaipur, where all shops and businesses have been shut down following the incident. Authorities also temporarily suspended internet services in the Udaipur district as a precautionary measure to avoid the spread of disinformation and rumors.
Accused attacked in NIA court
Social media firms asked to remove posts justifying Udaipur killing
In the aftermath of the gruesome killing of a tailor in Udaipur, the ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) directed all social media companies to "proactively and immediately" remove all content that "encourages, glorifies or justifies" the incident. The move will prevent "any incitement and disruption of public order and to restore public peace and harmony." The order was made public on Friday.
What the official letter read
The missive read, "Through this notice, you are directed to forthwith ensure that as part of your obligation of due diligence, safety and trust, you proactively and immediately remove any and all content...either in the form of a text message, audio, video, photo or any other form, that seem to encourage/glorify/justify this murder and killing...to prevent any incitement...and to restore public peace and harmony."
Meta removing any content associated with Udaipur incident
"We have designated the incident as violating and are removing any content associated with it as per our community standards," The Indian Express quoted a Meta spokesperson as saying. The publication said that Twitter and Koo were yet to comment. The video of the brutal incident was posted online. Reportedly there have been several instances of social media handles and accounts glorifying the murder.
Udaipur tailor brutally killed for supporting Sharma
Kanhaiya Lal, a tailor in Udaipur, was brutally killed by two assailants, Riyaz Akhtari and Ghaus Mohammad. They slit Lal's throat and posted a video on social media claiming to avenge an insult to Islam. Lal had apparently supported Sharma on social media over her controversial remarks against the Prophet. In another video, they also threatened Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Pakistan man instructed accused to 'do something spectacular'
According to an Indian Express report, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has determined that the killing of Kanhaiya Lal in Udaipur was "meticulously planned" and "instigated" by a person in Pakistan identified as "Salman Bhai." He told one of the accused, Mohammad Gos, that he "must do something spectacular" in response to the remarks on the Prophet because "peaceful protests will yield no result."
