In MP, Nupur Sharma's backer gets threats from Pakistani number; police register case

In Madhya Pradesh's Khandwa, a youth received threat calls on Saturday. The youth, an affiliate of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and a student of law, started receiving the threat calls, allegedly days after he and his friends uploaded a tweet on social media supporting politician Nupur Sharma who has been suspended from the Bharatiya Janata Party over her contentious remarks.

The youth's father, in a complaint to the Khandwa police, also alleged that on the night of July 26, he received a voice message on WhatsApp from a +92 number (code for Pakistan). In the voice message, a threat to kill was directed toward his son, allegedly for voicing support for Sharma. 

Confirming receiving the complaint, Superintendent of Police of Khandwa Vivek Singh that the youth first got threat calls from a Pakistan number, then through a voice message on WhatsApp, they threatened to kill him."

The SP added, "A case has been registered in this matter, and we are taking the help of the cyber cell in the investigation." 

Nupur Sharma's life & liberty in danger, claims lawyer before SC

Earlier, targeted killings were witnessed in Rajasthan's Udaipur and Maharashtra's Amravati over support to Nupur Sharma. In Udaipur, a tailor, identified as Kanhaiya Lal Teni, was killed in his shop, while in Amravati, a chemist named Umesh Prahladrao Kolhe, was hacked to death on his way home from his shop. In both cases, the victims had allegedly voiced their support for Sharma on social media. 

Also, time and again, Sharma has received threats, owing to which her lawyer last month moved the Supreme Court. Before a bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice JB Pardiwala, Senior Advocate Maninder Singh submitted that the suspended BJP leader has a serious threat to her life and liberty, and therefore, would not be in a position to approach the High Court, as was suggested earlier by the bench.

Singh sought protection from arrest for Sharma as well as the revival of her withdrawn petition seeking clubbing of FIRs lodged in several states.

Considering the submission, the bench granted interim relief to Sharma from coercive action till the date of the next hearing, i.e., August 10. Also, notices were issued to the Centre and several states in the matter.