Udaipur Murder Accused In Touch With People In Pakistan, But Won't Speculate: NIA Source

The 2 accused became members of Dawat-e-Islami via app, said NIA official, referring to a religious organisation headquartered in Karachi, Pakistan

In the brutal murder of tailor Kanhaiya Lal Teli in Udaipur, the National Investigating Agency (NIA) is looking into the possible involvement of "local self-radicalised gangs" having international links. There may be a role of more people besides the two arrested men, it suspects.

"We have taken over the case but are yet to get custody of the two accused," a senior officer, who did not want to be named, told NDTV a day after the NIA took over from the Rajasthan police. "Only after getting their custody can we know about their linkages locally or internationally," the officer added.

He said the the arrested men, Riyaz Akhtari and Ghouse Mohammad, are being taken to Jaipur where they will be produced in a special NIA court. "They will be questioned in Rajasthan; not in Delhi as of now," he added.

"The two accused had become members of Dawat-e-Islami via an app," he said, referring to a religious organisation headquartered in Karachi, Pakistan, which has branches in India too. Founded in 1981 by Maulana Ilyas Attari, Dawat-e-Islami has been linked with incidents of violence -- on the issue of blasphemy -- across the world, but is also known for charitable activities. Those associated with it use the suffix "Attari" in their names.