Kanhaiya Lal murder case: Key accused Mohammed Javed walks out of jail

Jaipur: Mohammed Javed, one of the key accused in the brutal murder of Udaipur tailor Kanhaiya Lal, was released from Ajmer’s high-security jail on Saturday.

Javed came out of the jail hiding his face at 8:15 a.m. and left in a car with his brother Mohammad Shamsher.

The Rajasthan High Court granted bail to Mohammed Javed on Thursday, citing insufficient evidence. Javed was accused of conspiring with the main suspects in the beheading of Kanhaiya Lal.

A division bench comprising justices Pankaj Bhandari and Praveer Bhatnagar ordered his release upon furnishing a bail bond of Rs 2 lakh and a surety amount of Rs 1 lakh. Setting the bail conditions, the bench prohibited him from travelling outside India without permission and mandated cooperation with the ongoing NIA investigation.

The High Court, while granting bail, believed that the evidence against Javed was insufficient and it was not necessary to keep him in custody.

While investigating, NIA arrested Riyaz Attari, Gaus Mohammad and others and presented a chargesheet in the NIA court. Pak resident accused Salman and Abu Ibrahim are absconding in the case.

It may be noted that the NIA arrested Javed, 20 days after Kanhaiya Lal’s murder on June 28, 2022. He was accused of meeting the main accused Riyaz Attari a day before the incident. A blunt sword was found during a search of his house. Hence, a case was also registered against him under the Arms Act.

Javed, 19, at the time of arrest, was the eighth of the nine persons arrested in the case. While the main accused Mohammad Riyaz and Ghouse Mohammad were picked up within hours of the murder, others, including Javed, were arrested later.

Javed is the second person to be granted bail in the case. Earlier, Farhad Mohammad Sheikh alias Babla, 31, at the time of his arrest in July 2022, was granted bail in September 2023.

IANS