Nagesh is the district president of Hindutva outfit, Hindu Putra Sangathan, which was red-flagged by the police in May, 2019.

Besides being charged with murder of Amir Hanzla, who was last seen at a protest called by RJD on 21 December near Phulwari Sharif, Samrat and his associates are also accused of instigating communal riots in the city during the protest through Facebook lives.

Phulwari Sharif SHO, Rafiqur Rehman, told The Quint that Nagesh Samrat was arrested by the police on 23 December, before Amir’s body was found, on the charges of rioting and later the murder charge was added to the FIR. Nagesh is a repeat offender and has been arrested earlier on various charges including inciting of violence, the police said.

In one of the videos being probed by the police, Nagesh can be seen asking “all Hindu sons” to “come to Phulwari Sharif” and raise their voices against the alleged “police torture of Hindus”.