Pakistani Man Who Crossed Border To Kill Nupur Sharma Arrested By BSF In Rajasthan

Rizwan Ashraf (22), was caught from near the India-Pakistan International Border fence in the Sriganganagar sector, officials said.

Indian Border Security Force (BSF) soldiers patrol along an unfenced area (Source: File photo/AFP)

New Delhi: A Pakistani national trying to infiltrate India by crossing the International Border has been apprehended by the Border Security Force (BSF) last week in Rajasthan, officials said on Tuesday, as reported by news agency PTI. According to the officials, the suspect crossed the border to kill former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma for her remarks against Prophet Muhammad. Rizwan Ashraf (22), was caught near the India-Pakistan International Border fence in the Sriganganagar sector, they said.

Two knives, including a cleaver, three religious books, a brush, hair oil, an electric tester, a map, food, clothes and a national identity card of Pakistan issued in 2019 along with some other items were recovered from him, officials said.

"The Pakistani national was arrested on intervening night of July 16-17. During preliminary interrogation, the Pakistani man has revealed that he planned to kill Nupur Sharma. He seems to be religiously motivated," said Anand Sharma, Superintendent of Police, Sriganganagar.

Ashraf initially told officials that he had entered in India to visit Ajmer Sharif dargah but later told them that he also wanted to kill Nupur Sharma for her remarks on the Prophet, senior officials claimed.

According to PTI, police sources said that the accused had taken in a meeting of clerics in Pakistan after Nupur Sharma's statement. Ashraf was also a part of this meeting and after being motivated, he had planned to kill the BJP leader.  

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Tuesday directed that no coercive action should be taken against the suspended BJP leader over her remarks on the Prophet, ANI reported. Saying that it never wanted Nupur Sharma to visit every court for relief, the Supreme Court bench, comprising Justices Surya Kant and JB Pardiwala, asked various states to respond to her request to club multiple FIRs against her.

FIRs have been lodged against Sharma in Delhi, Maharashtra, Telangana, West Bengal, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Assam. The top court sought responses of the Centre and the concerned states by August 10, the next date of hearing.

(With PTI inputs)