Who was Afghan Refugee Ahmed Zarif Chishti Killed in Nashik?

A 35-year-old Sufi spiritual leader from Afghanistan was shot dead by a group of four unidentified people in Yeola town in Maharashtra's Nashik district, police said. Nashik police detained one suspect and a manhunt was launched to catch the other defendants, including their driver.

The victim, identified as Khwaja Sayyad Ahmed Zarif Chishti, popularly known as 'Sufi Baba' in Yeola, an official said. A possible motive behind the murder was not immediately known. However, Nashik Rural Police Superintendent Sachin Patil told reporters that, prima facie, the incident occurred due to a financial dispute over property issues.

He is believed to have been living in India for the past four years after the government granted him refugee status. He has lived in Karnataka and Delhi in the past and was living in Nashik at the time of his death.

Sufi Baba Ahmed Zarif Chishti, of Afghan origin, was a refugee from Pakistan who came to India four years ago and had been granted a refugee pass and a two-year extension to stay in the country by the Indian government, an official said. The spiritual leader Sufi Baba stayed in Delhi, Karnataka and later in the Nashik district.

One of the identified accused has been detained and is currently being questioned by police. While a property dispute is the suspected motive behind the preacher's murder, police told the newspaper they were looking into other possible angles as well.

Chisti used to have a popular YouTube channel where he posted videos of his sermons, which the police believe was his main source of income, in addition to donations he would receive from the public.

Furthermore, the authorities suspect that the preacher had property worth Rs 3 crore in India, however, as he is an Afghan citizen, he cannot legally own property in his name and as such the properties were purchased by citizens. Indians with whom he was familiar.

Police said the incident took place around 7:30 p.m. m. Tuesday in a wooded area of ​​the MIDC industrial zone in the Yeola area of ​​Nashik. According to them, he was lured to the secluded area by people he knew on the pretext that they wanted him to perform rites there. However, once he exercised his rights, four or five unidentified people shot him several times.

Another Afghan national was reportedly staying with the Sufi preacher, who claimed to be his wife. However, authorities say they were unable to find any record of the marriage. Furthermore, the police have found nothing to implicate her in Chishti's murder.

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