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The Rajasthan police on Friday said that it has found links of Rizwan Ashraf, who infiltrated into India from Pakistan, with a far-right Islamic group -- Tehreek-e-Labbaik -- in his country. Ashraf, the police said, entered India with the intention of killing suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma over her derogatory remarks toward Prophet Mohammad.
Rizwan (24) was caught by the Border Security Force (BSF) near the India-Pakistan border in Sri Ganganagar on the night intervening July 16 and 17 and was handed over to the local police for interrogation. He has also been involved in vandalising a statue of erstwhile Sikh ruler Ranjit Singh at Lahore Fort last year, after which he was nabbed and sent to a jail in Pakistan.
Rizwan has been associated with the Tehreek-e-Labbaik, a far-right Islamic group in Pakistan, police said. Sri Ganganagar SP Anand Sharma said that during interrogation, Rizwan said that he came to India with a plan to kill Nupur Sharma for insulting Prophet Mohammad. The SP said that the accused has been actively associated with the Tehreek-e-Labbaik.
"This group had organised a protest march a month ago in the village of the accused against the statement of Nupur Sharma," the SP said. He had taken part in a religious meeting in Pakistan and after being motivated there, he made a plan to kill the suspended BJP leader.
He was caught by the BSF in Hindumalkot when he entered India after crossing the border. Two knives, religious books, food and clothes were recovered from a bag in his possession. An FIR has been registered against the accused under sections of the Foreigners Act, Indian Passport Act and Arms Act.
(With Agency Inputs)