MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Tuesday refused to grant bail to a veterinary doctor from Amravati accused in the 2022 murder of a chemist who had posted a WhatsApp message supporting former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma after her controversial remarks that angered sections of the Muslim community.
Umesh Kolhe was stabbed to death on June 21, 2022, around 9.30 pm while returning home on his scooter. The High Court order was delivered by Justices Ajey Gadkari and Shyam Chandak while hearing an appeal filed by accused Irfan Khan against an NIA court’s earlier rejection of his bail plea.
According to the prosecution, Khan was the only Muslim member of the WhatsApp group that included veterinary chemists and medical representatives. On June 14, 2022, Kolhe had shared Sharma’s photograph along with a message supporting her comments. Khan allegedly took a screenshot of the post and circulated it in another WhatsApp group, which investigators say triggered the conspiracy that led to the murder.
Dismissing the appeal, the judges observed that, at first glance, it appeared that “a terrorist gang was formed by the accused persons” to avenge what they perceived as an insult to their faith and to spread fear among the public. The court added that such offences “strike at the very core and conscience of society” and create an atmosphere of constant fear.
