India, Aug. 19 -- The 2022 murder of Amravati veterinary medical shop owner Umesh Kolhe was intended to strike terror among people who supported former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma and therefore amounted to a terrorist act, a special NIA court observed on Tuesday while rejecting the bail plea of accused Abdul Arbaz Abdul Salim.

The case stems from the controversy triggered by remarks made by then BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma during a television debate on May 27, 2022, about the Prophet Muhammad. The remarks sparked protests and complaints across the country. According to the prosecution, they were also followed by threats in Amravati against people who supported Sharma, with the court treating Kolhe's murder as part of this alleged cha...