Surat police commissioner Anupam Singh Gehlot identified the arrested accused as Maulvi Sohel Abubakr Timol (27), who worked at a thread factory as a manager and offered private tuition on Islam to Muslim children.
Among the bigwigs are Union ministers Amit Shah (Gandhinagar), Jyotiraditya Scindia (Guna), Mansukh Mandaviya (Porbandar), Parshottam Rupala (Rajkot), Pralhad Joshi (Dharwad) and SP Singh Baghel (Agra).
During the hearing, petitioner Upadhyay submitted that while individuals cannot seek vote in the name of religion or caste, political parties can be formed using religious connotations which cannot be permitted.
Primary interrogation of the accused revealed that they had committed the crime "in retribution to the purported statements by Tiwari", an ATS release said.
"Prime facie it seems that Tiwari was murdered due to his controversial statement made in 2015. There is a possibility," the DGP said as he ruled out any terror angle.
"If we do not get justice, I myself will take up the sword," Tiwari's distraught mother Kusum told reporters some time after meeting Adityanath.
Two deep cut marks were found on his neck and the stabbing was centred between jaws and chest.
Kamlesh Tiwari, 45, was earlier associated with a faction of the Hindu Mahasabha, they said.
The family had earlier demanded a National Investigation Agency-led investigation in the matter saying they don't trust the state administration.
Surat resident Ashfaq Shaikh, a prime suspect, allegedly replaced his colleague Rohit Solanki's photo on the latter's Aadhaar card with his own. He also changed the birth date on the Aadhaar card.
The officer said UP unit chief of Antarrashtriya Hindu Mahasabha, Ranjeet Bachchan, died on the spot after being hit by a bullet
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