Amravati killing: Navneet, Ravi Rana recite Hanuman Chalisa in front of Umesh Kolhe's home

On June 21, 54-year-old Umesh Kolhe was attacked with a knife by a group of three men in Amravati allegedly for social media posts supporting former BJP leader Nupur Sharma.

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New Delhi: Independent Lok Sabha MP Navneet Rana and her MLA husband Ravi Rana on Saturday (July 9) recited Hanuman Chalisa outside the Amravati residence of chemist Umesh Kolhe, who was killed on June 21 allegedly for social media messages supporting suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma. The Rana couple also demanded that those who killed Kolhe be “hanged in public” so that no one would dare to repeat the crime. The Rana couple had made headlines after they announced they would recite Hanuman Chalisa outside then Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's house and were later arrested and eventually released on bail. 

On June 21, 54-year-old Kolhe was allegedly attacked with a knife by a group of three men between 10 pm and 10:30 pm. He succumbed to his injuries during treatment in the hospital.

The Rana couple on Thursday denied charges that the alleged mastermind behind Kolhe's murder had a connection to their political outfit Yuva Swabhiman Party (YSP). "The allegations are absolutely baseless. We have never met him or even know him, he was never our worker. Whichever party they may belong to, strict action should be taken against them," Ravi Rana, a three-time MLA from Badnera, was quoted as saying by IANS. His remarks came in the wake of some media channels alleging one of their party workers was the mastermind behind the killing of veterinary pharmacist Umesh Kolhe.

Earlier, Navneet Rana had accused that Amravati police commissioner Aarti Singh "suppressed" the case of the chemist's murder and called for an inquiry against her. "We wrote a letter to Union HM Amit Shah and he took action by sending NIA. After 12 days Amravati CP came in front of the media and said that the case is similar to the Udaipur murder and is related to content posted about Nupur Sharma," MP Rana had said.

"After 12 days she's giving clarification on the incident. She first said that it was a robbery and tried to suppress the case. An enquiry must also be done against Amravati CP," she had said. 

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) took over the probe in the murder case from the Amravati police on July 5. While on July 7, a special court in Mumbai sent the seven accused in the case to NIA custody till July 15.

(With agency inputs)