Maharashtra: Afghan Sufi preacher murdered in Nashik over ‘property row’

A 28 -year -old Afghan Sufi preacher who lived in India as a refugee for the past four years was shot dead in a forest area in the Nashik Maharashtra District on Tuesday night. The police have identified the role of five people in the murder and Prima Facie Motif seems to be related to property or monetary problems.

The deceased was identified as Ahmed Zarif Chishti, known as Zarif Chishti. Sachin Patit, Inspector, Nashik Rural said, “We have arrested one person and he was asked. Prima Facie Motive is a financial and property problem. But we investigate all angles. The incident occurred around 19:30 in the forest area in Yeola in Nashik.

The police said the defendant known to Chishti took him into the vehicle to the forest area said they wanted him to do a ‘puja’ for a new plot. “But Chishti didn’t know that it was just a tactic to kill him. The defendant took him to a remote place, and when Chishti got into the car after doing puja, one of them shot him with a gun killed him on the spot. The people then fled from that place, “they said.

Chishti came to India four years ago with the status of refugees given by the Indian government. He has lived in Yeola, Maharashtra for more than one year. Previously he lived in Karnataka and Delhi. Police said Chishti had fled from Afghanistan who was afraid of the execution of the Taliban.

The police said that most of his income came from his YouTube channel where he posted a video of his sermon. The channel made in 2017 has 2.27 LAKH followers and receives more than 6 crore displays. The police said he also generated income with donations from the public.

The police said that Chishti had property worth RS 3 Crore in India. Because he was a refugee from Afghanistan, he could not buy property in accordance with the Indian law, and all properties were purchased on behalf of Indian citizens he knew.

The police said he also bought 15 hectares of land in Yeola and a car. They suspect that the killers may be people called Chishti as the owner of his property.

The police said that a woman, another Afghan citizen, had lived with her and claimed she was his wife. But the police have not found a marriage certificate from him. The police have not yet found instructions that determine their involvement in crime. The victim did not have a criminal antecedent.