What we know about Karachi-based Dawat-e-Islami, linked to the Udaipur killing

In the Udaipur brutal killing of a tailor Kanhaiyalal, the accused caught may have Pakistani connections. This is after Rajasthan Director General of Police (DGP) ML Lather said that one of the men arrested for the beheading, Ghouse Mohammad had links with Karachi-based Dawat-e-Islami and had visited the Pakistani city in 2014.

The network of Dawat-e-Islami spread in 193 countries also has its footprints in Kanpur city of Uttar Pradesh. According to police sources, more than 50,000 supporters of Dawat-e-Islami are active in the city. Kanpur Police has contacted NIA and Udaipur Police in this regard.

Read | Udaipur beheading: Riyaz associated with Al Sufa and IS, Ghaus trained in Pakistan

It is alleged that conversions were happening through YouTube channel from Dawat-e-Islami's Kanpur-based Markaz. Now the police have taken possession of the videos found on YouTube.

Meanwhile, Pakistan has rejected the reported links between the accused with the Islamist organisation. In a statement, the Foreign Office said that it has seen reports in a segment of the Indian media referring to investigations into the murder case in Udaipur, seeking to link the accused individuals to an organisation in Pakistan.

What do we know about Dawat-e-Islami so far?

Dawat-e-Islami is a Sunni Islamic organisation, registered as a charity, that was founded in Karachi in September 1981 by Illyas Attar Qadri, whose followers call themselves Attari. The organisation operates in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh in the subcontinent and in the United Kingdom.

The purpose of the organistion is to propagate the message of Prophet Muhammad. It offers online courses in Islamic studies and also runs a television channel.

National President of Sufi Khanqah Association, Kaushal Hassan Majidi has claimed that money taken in the name of charity is used by Dawat-e-Islami organisation to carry out terrorist activities. He said that the promotion of Dawat-e-Islami is done through YouTube channel.

It is worth noting that the national president of the Sufi Khanqah Association has also complained to the Ministry of Home Affairs about Dawat-e-Islami. In a complaint made last year, the organisation was described as a threat to the internal security of the country.