Pakistani man who crossed border to kill Nupur Sharma arrested

A Pakistani man, who had crossed the border to kill former Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Nupur Sharma for her remarks against Prophet Mohammad, was apprehended by the Border Security Force (BSF) last week in Rajasthan, officials said on Tuesday.

Rizwan Ashraf, 22, a resident of Mandi Bahauddin district in Pakistan's Punjab province, was nabbed from near the India-Pakistan International Border fence in the Sriganganagar sector, they said.

Two knives, including a cleaver, three religious books, a comb, hair oil, electric tester, 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.

The Pakistani was produced before a local court which sent him to police custody till July 24.

The man is currently being interrogated by a joint interrogation committee (JIC) comprising BSF, state police and intelligence agencies officials, a senior officer said.

The man had initially told officials that he came to the border as he wanted to visit Ajmer Sharif dargah but later told them that he also wanted to kill Sharma for her remarks on the Prophet, senior officials claimed.

Sharma said the man is presently being interrogated to ascertain his links.

An FIR has been registered against the accused under sections of the Foreigners Act, Indian Passport Act and Arms Act, officials said.

Police sources said the accused had taken part in a religious meeting in Pakistan and after being motivated, he had planned to kill the BJP leader.

The arrests of the Pakistani man comes in the backdrop of now-suspended Sharma's remark on Prophet which had led to protests at many places across the country.