An arrest has been made by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the horrific murder of tailor Kanhaiya Lal in Udaipur, Rajasthan, last month, according to a spokesperson on Sunday.
According to the spokesperson Farhad Mohammad Sheikh, also known as Babla, was detained on Saturday night.
He actively participated in the plot to assassinate the tailor and was a "close criminal associate" of Riaz Akhtari, one of the two main suspects, the spokesperson claimed.
On June 28, Kanhaiya Lal was cleaver-murdered inside his tailor shop
Ghouse Mohammad videotaped the horrible attack by Riaz Akhtari, also known as Riyaz Attari, on the tailor, and the footage was uploaded online. Later, they claimed in a video that they had killed Lal by hacking him to death in retaliation for an alleged insult to Islam.
The two were detained shortly after the murder.
The security agencies also apprehended two other people, named Mohsin and Asif, who are said to have been a part of the conspiracy to promote terror among the general public, in addition to the duo, against whom the proof is a self-shot film.
Mohammed Mohsin and Wasim, two other suspects, were later detained for their involvement in the criminal conspiracy and assistance with the two primary suspects' reconnaissance of the tailor's store.
One of the accused was allegedly a member of certain secret organisations ostensibly intended for religious activity, according to the investigation agencies, who claimed to have discovered multiple Pakistani numbers on their WhatsApp accounts.
The NIA had on June 29 re-registered the case under the anti-terror Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act after taking it over from the Rajasthan Police.
The case was initially registered at Dhanmandi police station in Udaipur.
"NIA has re-registered a case under sections 452, 302, 153(A), 153(B), 295(A) and 34 of IPC and sections 16, 18 & 20 of UA(P) Act, 1967 against accused who have conspired, planned and committed the heinous murder...," the agency spokesperson had said.
"The accused persons had also circulated a video of the criminal act in the social media claiming responsibility for the murder in order to trigger panic and strike terror among the masses across the country," the spokesperson added.
