Maulvi Sohel Abubakr Timol (27), a tutor offering private Islamic education to Muslim children, was apprehended by Surat Police in Gujarat on Saturday. He stands accused of making death threats against Nupur Sharma, a former spokesperson for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and plotting the assassination of a Hindu organization’s leader.
According to Surat Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gehlot, Timol, who has previously worked at a thread factory, is alleged to have collaborated with individuals in Pakistan and Nepal. They purportedly planned to offer a contract worth ₹1 crore for the murder of Updesh Rana, the national president of Hindu Sanatan Sangh.
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“After Timol’s arrest, incriminating evidence was discovered on his mobile devices, including discussions about the ₹1 crore bounty for Updesh Rana’s murder. He maintained regular contact with individuals in Pakistan and Nepal,” Gehlot stated, as reported by PTI.
“Timol was also implicated in making threats against Rana back in March. He utilized a virtual number from Laos to issue threats, connecting with numbers from Pakistan and Nepal in group calls,” the police official added.
Gehlot further revealed that Timol and his associates, as evidenced by photos and other details on his phone, were discussing plans to target and intimidate Sudarshan TV’s editor-in-chief Suresh Chavhanke, Nupur Sharma, and Hyderabad MLA Raja Singh. The group purportedly aimed to raise funds and acquire weapons for this purpose.
According to reports, Surat Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gehlot described the individuals involved as “deeply radicalized,” discussing the assassination of leaders associated with Hindutva ideologies, including the murder of Kamlesh Tiwari, the president of the Hindu Samaj Party in Uttar Pradesh who was killed in Lucknow on October 18, 2019.
Records belonging to Maulvi Sohel Abubakr Timol indicate his intent to swiftly eliminate Rana in order to disrupt communal harmony during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, Gehlot stated. He further mentioned that Surat Police was collaborating with other agencies to ascertain if there were additional targets under consideration.
According to a statement from the crime branch, initial questioning of the accused revealed that he was contacted by two individuals named Dogar and Shehnaz, using phone numbers from Pakistan and Nepal respectively. These individuals allegedly incited the accused by claiming that Hindu organizations in India were disrespecting the Prophet, urging corrective action.
The police disclosed that Timol acquired an international SIM card from Laos to conceal his identity, and he activated a business number on social media to issue threats to Rana.
On a messaging app, Timol allegedly authored speeches disparaging Hinduism and threatened Rana with a fate similar to Kamlesh Tiwari’s murder. Police further claimed that a member of his chat group offered a ₹1 crore bounty for Rana’s assassination. Timol purportedly utilized social media to foment communal discord, posting derogatory comments about Hinduism alongside images of the Indian national flag. Additionally, he allegedly falsified electronic records and attempted to procure arms from foreign contacts.
The arrested individual reportedly communicated with individuals holding WhatsApp numbers with international codes from countries such as Pakistan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, and Laos.
Charges against Timol include sections 153 (A) (inciting communal hatred), 467, 468, and 471 (related to document forgery or electronic record), as well as section 120 (B) for criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code, along with violations of the Information Technology Act.
Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi condemned the accused’s actions, accusing him of conspiring to assassinate BJP leaders and three Hindu leaders. Sanghavi alleged that the accused maintained contact with handlers in Pakistan through WhatsApp, arranged for weapons acquisition, and agreed upon a ₹1 crore contract. He criticized the Congress for supporting individuals like Timol and vowed strict action against those involved in anti-national activities.
