New Delhi, India
The teenager who beheaded a French teacher for displaying caricatures of Prophet Mohammad in class reportedly paid students outside the school to identify him.
According to Franceâs anti-terrorism prosecutor, Jean-Francois Ricard, the Chechen teenager had the details of the teacherâs name and the location of his school. This was owing to a parent initiating a campaign against Samuel Paty on social media. However, the killer could still not identify him.
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"This identification was only possible with the help of students from the school. They identified him in exchange for payment," Ricard said during a news conference.
Additionally, Ricard said that the killer had arrived at school early on Friday afternoon, and also offered students money to identify the teacher. He offered between 300-350 euros ($350-$415).
At least seven people are being suspected of being complicit in the murder of the teacher, with with two aged 14 and 15. If a link is established after formal investigation, they would be treated as formal suspects.
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The attacker was living in France as a refugee, and had recently reached out to a Muslim girl who had called out Paty for stigmatising Muslims, and demanding his dismissal.
On October 16, Paty was beheaded in daylight outside his school in the Parisian suburb of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine. Later, the attacked was shot dead by the police.
Muslims believe all depictions of Prophet Mohammad are blasphemous. According to investigators, the murdered sought to avenge the teacherâs usage of Prophet caricatures in a class on freedom of expression.