Dhandhuka murder: Three men arrested 'sheltering shooters' who killed Bharwad

According to police, three men apprehended by the Gujarat Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) on Wednesday in the Dhandhuka murder case were held for allegedly buying weapons and providing sanctuary to the gunmen who killed 30-year-old Kishan Bharwad over an offensive Facebook post.

The three — Rameez Seta, Matin Modan, and Hussain Khatri alias Mistry — were apprehended by ATS personnel on Wednesday in several places across Gujarat and transported to the agency's headquarters on Thursday.

Five other people were arrested earlier: Sabbir Chopda, Imtiyaz Pathan, Azeem Sama, and clerics Maulvi Qamar Gani Usmani and Maulana Mohammad Ayyub Javarawala.

On January 25, while riding his motorcycle through Dhandhuka, Bharwad was allegedly shot and killed by two bike-borne persons.

Sabbir and Imtiyaz are accused of shooting at Bharwad with a firearm provided by Javarawala, according to authorities. The shooters were allegedly motivated by Usmani, who administers the Tahreek Farooghe Islam organisation in Delhi, according to police. The main shooter Sabbir Chopda and Maulvi Mohammad Ayyub had allegedly visited Porbandar last year to kill a person named Sajan Odedara in another blasphemy case, according to the investigation. Odedara, on the other hand, was not in Porbandar at the time of their visit, according to the police.

In a press conference on Thursday, ATS deputy superintendent of police BH Chavda remarked, "Eight accused have been arrested in the case so far. Among the three arrested on Thursday, Rameez Seta, along with another accused Azeem Sama, procured the weapon to kill Bharwad.

Before the murder, Sabbir Chopda and Maulana Mohammad Ayyub had visited Porbandar to murder another citizen Sajan Odedara over another blasphemous post. In that case, Hussain Khatri provided them food and shelter in Porba-ndar. The third arrested Matin Modan received a call from Sabbir Chopda right after Bharwad was shot at and he provided shelter to both Sabbir and Imtiyaz."

Maulvi Qamar Gani Usmani: Usmani manages Tehreek Farooghe Islam (TFI), a Delhi-based organisation that demands punishment for blasphemy-related occurrences in India. He was detained for his claimed role in the assassination of Sabbir Chopda.

– Maulana Mohammad Ayyub Javarawala: An Ahmedabad-based preacher who allegedly provided Sabbir with a firearm and ammo after obtaining it from others. In Porbandar, Javarawala and Sabbir attempted to assassinate another man named Sajan Odedara. The ATS seized copies of Javarawala's "Jazba E Shahadat," which mentions "punishment in cases of blasphemy."

Sabbir Chopda, a 25-year-old Dhandhuka resident who shot at Kishan Bharwad, is a class 9 dropout who works as a welder. He allegedly messaged Usmani on Instagram and met him in Mumbai, after which he was summoned to Ahmedabad to meet Javarawala.

– Imtiyaz Pathan: Chopda's accomplice who accompanied him on a recce of Bharwad for 4-5 days on a motorcycle. Chopda shot at Bharwad while he was riding his motorcycle.

— Azeem Sama, a Rajkot resident who is accused of providing the weapon to Javarawala.

- Rameez Seta: Azeem's accomplice in obtaining the weapon.

— Hussain Khatri, a Porbandar resident who gave Sabbir and Javarawala sanctuary while they were in town to assassinate Sajan Odedara.