Maulvi Sohel Abubakr Timol, a 27-year-old who provided private Islamic tuition to Muslim children, was apprehended by Surat Police in Gujarat on Saturday. According to reports from the news agency PTI, he stands accused of threatening to kill Nupur Sharma, the former spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and orchestrating a plan to assassinate a Hindu organization leader.
Surat Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gehlot disclosed that Maulvi Sohel Abubakr Timol, who previously worked at a thread factory, allegedly conspired with individuals from Pakistan and Nepal to execute a contract worth ₹1 crore for the assassination of Updesh Rana, the national president of Hindu Sanatan Sangh. Gehlot mentioned, “After his apprehension, we discovered various objectionable contents on his mobile phone, including discussions about offering ₹1 crore for Updesh Rana’s murder, in constant communication with individuals from Pakistan and Nepal.”
Additionally, Gehlot revealed that Timol was involved in threatening Rana earlier this year, utilizing a virtual number from Laos to issue threats. Further scrutiny of Timol’s phone unveiled discussions about targeting and threatening Sudarshan TV’s editor-in-chief Suresh Chavhanke, Nupur Sharma, and Hyderabad MLA Raja Singh. Gehlot emphasized their intent to collect funds and procure weapons for this purpose.
According to Gehlot, Timol and his associates exhibited radicalized behavior, discussing the murder of Kamlesh Tiwari, the president of Hindu Samaj Party who was killed in 2019. Timol’s aim, as per preliminary interrogation, was to disrupt communal harmony during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections by eliminating Rana.
The police disclosed that Timol was initially contacted by individuals identified as Dogar and Shehnaz via social media platforms using phone numbers from Pakistan and Nepal. They allegedly incited Timol by citing alleged insults to Prophet Muhammad by Hindu organizations in India. Timol received an international SIM from Laos to maintain anonymity and utilized a business number on social media to issue threats.
Timol’s activities extended to spreading communal animosity on social media, posting derogatory comments about Hinduism, and attempting to procure arms from foreign handlers. The police revealed his contact with holders of WhatsApp numbers from various countries like Pakistan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, and Laos.
The accused was charged under sections of the Indian Penal Code related to promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, forgery of documents or electronic records, and criminal conspiracy, in addition to provisions of the Information Technology Act.
Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi condemned Timol’s actions, accusing him of conspiring to assassinate BJP and Hindu leaders. Sanghavi criticized the Congress party for defending such individuals for political gains and vowed strict action against those involved in anti-national activities.
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