The man struck the tailor with a cleaver as the other man filmed the murder on his mobile phone
The gruesome killing of a tailor today by two men who filmed it and bragged about avenging an insult to Islam has sparked tension and protests in Rajasthan's Udaipur. Both the attackers seen on camera have been arrested.
Kanhaiya Lal had been threatened multiple times over his social media posts in support of BJP leader Nupur Sharma, who was suspended by the ruling party earlier this month after her comments on Prophet Muhammad triggered anger among Gulf nations and protests in the country.
This afternoon, Kanhaiya Lal was at his shop in the city's busy Dhan Mandi market when the attackers walked in, pretending to be customers. The tailor is seen in the video measuring one of the men, who suddenly attacks him.
The man struck him with a cleaver as the other man filmed the murder on his mobile phone. The killers tried to behead him but couldn't, the police said. The neck was slit but the head was not severed.
The two men fled and later posted the barbaric video on social media. In another video, the attackers, identified as Gos Mohammad and Riyaz, gloated about the murder and threatened Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The police warned against sharing or circulating the video.
"It is too grisly to watch, my advice is please don't look at the video," said senior police officer Hawasingh Ghumaria. He also asked the media not to broadcast the video because of its highly inflammatory content.
Curfew has been imposed in parts of Udaipur, internet has been suspended across the city and large gatherings have been banned. Hundreds of additional policemen were called in as Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot appealed for calm.