The Rajasthan Police on Friday made shocking revelations against a Pakistani national who was apprehended from the Hindumal border in Rajasthan’s Srigangagar district after crossing illegally to the Indian side. The Police said that the accused who was identified by the BSF as Rizwan Ashraf belonged to a far-right Islamic extremist political party in Pakistan named Tehreek-e-Labbaik.
“Tehreek-e-Labbaik, a Pakistani organization has made plans to kill Nupur Sharma. Rizwan who is a Pakistani terrorist was also influenced by Tehreek-e-Labbaik. As per their plan, he wanted to enter India from across the border,” said S Sengathir, Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence) of Rajasthan.
The Police also said that Ashraf was also arrested earlier by the Pakistan Police in Lahore for dismantling the statue of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh in August 2021. According to the reports, the Police, IB, BSF, and Military Intelligence Officers are all investigating to discover the local connections established by Ashraf in Rajasthan’s Srigangagar.
The accused was arrested by the BSF from the Hindumal border in Srigangagar district on after crossing the border illegally to the Indian side. The BSF stated in the case that the accused had crossed the border on July 16 and was apprehended after he was spotted roaming around near the fencing. The patrol squad became suspicious and interrogated him. He was carrying an 11-inch long knife, religious books, clothes, food and sand in a bag. He had said that his name is Rizwan Ashraf, and he is from Mandi Bahauddin city located in Northern Punjab of Pakistan.
However, he did not respond adequately and failed to cooperate with the military officers. Rajasthan SP Anand Sharma while elaborating the details said that when he was thoroughly searched by the officers, two knives, one of them being 11-inch long, were discovered from him. Besides, religious texts, maps, clothing, and food items were discovered. Rizwan Ashraf, 24, is a resident of Kuthiyal Shaikh, Pakistan.
Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan | He said he came to India to take action against Nupur Sharma on her statements. He had no idea where she lives, he was only so religiously motivated that he crossed over: SP Anand Sharma (2/2) pic.twitter.com/Zh4rDfUsJm
— ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) July 19, 2022
During questioning, the accused admitted to being a resident of Mandi Bahauddin in northern Pakistan. He informed officials that he crossed the border with the goal of assassinating suspended BJP spokesman Nupur Sharma for making derogatory statements about Prophet Muhammad. He was on his way to Ajmer Dargah before executing the claimed murder.
He was interrogated by a combined team of intelligence organizations, including the Intelligence Bureau (IB), the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), and the Military Intelligence Agency and was later handed over to the Police. The Police reportedly on Friday revealed that the accused belonged to Tehreek-e-Labbaik and had a past criminal record. Further investigations in the case are underway.
