Muslim cleric arrested in Surat for plot to kill right-wing leader, had handlers in Pak, Nepal

Chat records showed Timol wanted to kill Rana soon in order to disturb communal harmony during the ongoing general elections, officials said, adding that Surat Police were taking the help of other agencies to find out if they had more targets in mind.

Sudarshan channel’s chief editor Suresh Chauhan, BJP’s former national spokesperson Nupur Sharma and BJP’s Telangana MLA Raja Singh were among other people who the accused planned to target by sending threats, officials added.

The cleric, a native of Nandurbar in Maharashtra, was arrested on Friday from Bharimata Road near Phoolwadi creek in Surat. Surat Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gahlaut told mediapersons on Saturday, “The accused works in a private factory and imparted religious education to children in Kathor. He also studied from a madrassa in Kathor. The accused was using an international number on his mobile phone. He came in contact with his handlers, identified as Dogar (from Pakistan) and Shehnaz from Nepal through social media.”

Gahlaut further added, “We will interrogate him and we are hopeful that more details would come during his police remand period in coming days.”

“Timol was also found to be involved in issuing threats to Rana in March this year. The accused used a virtual number from Laos to issue threats to the target by connecting numbers from Pakistan and Nepal in his group call. Photos and other details found on his phone number show they (accused and associates) were discussing on a secure app about targeting and threatening editor-in-chief of Sudarshan TV Suresh Chavhanke, political leader Nupur Sharma, and Hyderabad MLA Raja Singh. For this purpose, they were planning to collect funds and procure weapons,” Gahlaut was quoted as saying by PTI.

As his mobile phone was checked, police found morphed images of Hindu gods and goddesses. He has been arrested under IPC sections 153 (A) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence. language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony.), 467 (forgery of valuable security, will, etc.), 468(forgery for purpose of cheating.), 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record.), 120(b) (criminal conspiracy) and information technology sections 66(D), 67, and 67(a).

“Around a year and half ago, the two handlers contacted the accused through social media on phone numbers belonging to Pakistan and Nepal. They instigated the accused by claiming the Nabi had been mocked by Hindu organisations in India and these need to be straightened out,” a police release stated.

“A WhatsApp group that he was part of had phone numbers of people from Pakistan, Vietnam, Kazakhstan and Indonesia,” said a police official.

With PTI inputs