Two Muslim men already arrested for the murder, who filmed the act and posted it online, said it was in response to the victim’s support for the politician’s derogatory remarks about the Prophet Muhammad.
Three senior police officials said on Saturday that two more Muslim men from Rajasthan were detained for plotting to kill Teli at his shop in Udaipur, a popular tourist destination.
“Now we have arrested two masterminds, and earlier we arrested two people who committed a heinous crime,” said Prafulla Kumar, a senior police officer in Udaipur.
Kumar said internet services are gradually being restored and security forces continue to be on alert.
An angry mob, including several lawyers, punched and shoved the four murder defendants as they appeared in the trial court on Saturday.
India’s Supreme Court judges said on Friday that Sharma must apologize to the entire nation after her remarks exacerbated sectarian divisions in India, angered Islamic nations and sparked diplomatic tensions.
Local media reported on a separate incident on June 21 in which a chemist was stabbed to death in the western state of Maharashtra for allegedly supporting Sharma’s remarks on social media.
“Five people have been arrested in connection with the murder of a chemist, and a search is underway for the main accused,” Aarti Singh, the chief of the regional police, was quoted by the local press.
Application rejected
Singh said the reasons behind the killing have yet to be ascertained.
Zubair’s bail request was denied on Saturday and a local court sentenced him to two weeks in custody, the court order said.
The National Investigation Agency, India’s top anti-terrorism agency, said it was investigating Teli’s murder.
A senior agency official in New Delhi said the agents were questioning Muslims associated with the four defendants in Udaipur to determine if they were linked to the militants.
Muslims living about 3 kilometers from the atelier said they were nervous and feared a social and economic boycott by powerful Hindus living in Udaipur.
“I know what was done is barbaric, but society should not be held responsible for the act of two people,” said Mohammad Faroukh, a medical spokesman who lives in the Muslim area of the city.
The All India Muslim Personal Law Council called the incident “highly reprehensible”, adding that it was contrary to both Indian law and Islamic restrictions.