India, Jan. 29 -- A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court has rejected the discharge plea of Abdul Taufeeque Shaikh, who is accused of killing Amravati-based pharmacist Umesh Kolhe over his support for former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma's controversial statements about Prophet Mohammed.

Special NIA judge Chakor S Baviskar said last week that the material annexed to the charge sheet was enough to proceed against Shaikh, more so because every accused in the case pursued the same end.

"There appears to be unity of minds in the object to be achieved. There was only one goal to be achieved and it was to commit murder of the victim Umesh Kolhe, by using lethal weapons, especially to strike terror in specific sections of people,"...