Mumbai, October 8, 2026: The special NIA court has refused to grant bail to Mushifique Ahmad, 47, Maulvi, allegedly involved in the murder of Amravati pharmacist Umesh Kolhe. The court said he provoked all other accused to commit the offences, alluring them for jannat.

The special judge Chakor Baviskar, while refusing to grant bail to Ahmad, observed that, "This particular applicant Mushifique (A/9) being Maulana/Maulavi, holding high religious and honourable post in the community, played an important role to instigate and provoke coaccused, to hatch conspiracy to commit murder of Umesh Kolhe, get it executed, monitor the same and provide all the logistic support required to the actual assailants of victim Umesh Kolhe."

Murder Of Umesh Kolhe

As per the prosecution case, Kolhe, who ran a medical store in Amravati, was returning home on his scooter on June 21, 2022, when three men on a bike allegedly accosted him and hacked him to death.

Ahmed had, while seeking bail, claimed that he has not committed any offence. He is totally innocent and has been falsely implicated in the aforesaid offence. The meeting called by him after Kolhe shared a post supporting a former BJP leader was attended by more than 200 people. He claimed that none of them states any conspiracy or use of violence in any of the meetings. Rather, it was decided therein to maintain peace in the city of Amravati.

Prosecution Calls Ahmed Mastermind

The prosecution, however, had claimed that Ahmed is the main mastermind in the case. He supervised the entire events while taking information before and after the murder of Umesh Kolhe from Irfan, another key accused, and others. Besides, the prosecution claimed that he had given Rs 10,000 to the actual assailants after the murder of Umesh Kolhe, to run away from Amravati and to avert arrest.

The court, after referring to the statements of the witnesses and other evidence, noted that, 'there are statements of other witnesses who had attended the pre-murder meetings, wherein Mushifique (A/9) spoke provocatively to avenge the persons who supported former BJP leader.'

"This accused Mushifique (A/9) is admittedly a Maulana alias Maulavi, Muslim religious leader, according to the NIA/prosecution. Using this religious position, he gave air to the extremely radicalized sentiments of the members in Muslim community in Amravati," the court said, adding that he, "instigated other accused against those by saying that, who showed disregard or disrespect towards the Prophet, or towards Islam, are to be taught a lesson, then only a prestige could be maintained."

Court Rejects Delay Argument

The defence had also raised a ground of delay in trial while seeking bail. The court discarded the ground, observing that, "the accused themselves wanted to protract the trial unnecessarily and create ground for so-called long incarceration and cunningly raise hue and cry of right to speedy trial."

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Amravati Pharmacist Umesh Kolhe Murder Case: Special NIA Court Denies Bail To Mushifique Ahmed, Cites Alleged Role In Conspiracy