On Friday, a special NIA court in Jaipur granted bail to Farhad Mohammad, alias Babla, who was arrested in connection with the beheading of Kanhaiya Lal in Rajasthan’s Udaipur last year. Mohammad was charge-sheeted under the provisions of the Arms Act.

Mohammad’s counsel, Akhil Chaudhary, claimed that Farhad was not involved in the beheading of Kanhaiya Lal and that the sword recovered from him was a blunt one. He claimed that Farhad Mohammad and his family are artisans involved in meenakari, a process of painting and colouring metal and ceramic tile surfaces.

Mohammad was apprehended after a sword was recovered from his possession last year.

The NIA’s Special Public Prosecutor, TP Sharma, contested the bail plea, noting the discovery of the sword and arguing that he had joined a protest gathering against the suspended BJP spokesperson, Nupur Sharma, and raised inflammatory slogans.