On the intervening night of July 15 and July 16, two Hindu men from Udaipur received death threats. As per reports, the businessmen received ‘star tan se juda’ threats on the messaging platform WhatsApp. The message had come from an international mobile number. Complaints have been filed in the matter, and the Police have initiated a probe. Furthermore, Police personnel have been deployed outside shops and houses of the traders.
The businessmen who received the threats are residents of the Dhanmandi Police Station area in Udaipur where Kanhaiya Lal was murdered. One of the businessmen who works as a hairdresser received a text from a number with +96 (Iran) country code. The message read, “It has been long since you have been doing haircuts for others. Now the time has come to cut off your head. You will receive the same fate as Kanhaiya Lal. Your recce is going on. Those who insult the prophet will be beheaded. Your ‘father’ is roaming around you.”
A similar threat message was sent to a cloth merchant identified as Hiralal Dangi. He was on a trip with his family when he received the message. Following the complaints by the businessmen, Cyber Cell has initiated an investigation into the matter. District Superintendent of Police (SP) Vikas Sharma said in a statement that efforts are being made to trace the caller as soon as possible.
Murder of Kanhaiya Lal
On June 28, a Hindu tailor named Kanhaiya Lal was brutally beheaded in Udaipur, Rajasthan. He was killed over an alleged social media post in which he had supported former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma. As per reports, his neighbour Nazim had filed a complaint against him, following which he was arrested by the Police. Kanhaiya Lal was later released on bail.
Nazim also leaked Kanhaiya Lal’s number, photograph, and address to his community groups. Kanhaiya Lal continued to receive threat calls and messages. Fearing for his life, Kanhaiya Lal shut his shop for six days and approached Police for protection. Instead of giving him protection, the Police asked him to compromise with the Islamists who were threatening him.
After six days, when he opened his shop, two Islamists came as customers and beheaded him. The two attackers, identified as Mohammed Riyaz Akhtar and Mohammed Gos, were arrested by the Police. National Investigation Agency is currently investigating the case.