Lucknow Police have recovered security footage from outside the home of Kamlesh Tiwari, the leader of a political party in Uttar Pradesh who was murdered on Friday. The footage shows three suspects – two men and a woman – carrying a yellow bag containing a box of sweets that police now believe hid weapons and was used to gain entry into Mr Tiwari’s home by pretending it was a Diwali gift. One of the men is wearing a saffron kurta and the other a red one, while the woman is wearing a red kurta and white dupatta.
In the footage, the box of sweets appears to be from a confectionary in Surat in Gujarat. Further investigations into this angle are ongoing.
The police have also registered a first information report (FIR) against two Muslim clerics from Bijnor district in western UP. The FIR was filed by Mr Tiwari’s wife, Kiran Tiwari, who, on Friday night, demanded Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath meet the family and threatened self-immolation if her husband’s killers were not brought to account. Distraught family members also demanded government jobs for Mr Tiwari’s sons.
“I will commit self-immolation right at this place along with my children,” she was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. She also claimed that her husband had received threatening calls every day but the government had failed to act in time.
Kamlesh Tiwari, 43, was killed at his residence in the Naka neighbourhood of Lucknow on Friday afternoon. He had his throat cut and was shot multiple times, and died while being taken to a hospital. Police recovered a pistol from the scene of the crime on Friday.
Kamlesh Tiwari murder: UP Police have formed a SIT to track down the killers
Mr Tiwari, who founded the Hindu Samaj Party in 2017, had been provided with armed security – two gunners – and a guard – by a local police station. On the day of his murder, the gunners were absent. Police say the guard stopped the suspects at the gate and only allowed them through after checking with Mr Tiwari. Police say this indicates the suspects were known to the victim.
On Friday, OP Singh, Director-General Police (UP), said the accused spent 36 minutes with Mr Tiwari, who had his throat cut and was shot multiple times. He died as he was being rushed to hospital.
According to ANI, in 2016 one of the clerics named in the murder FIR – Maulana Anwarul Haq – had placed a bounty of Rs. 51 lakh on Mr Tiwari’s life after he allegedly made derogatory remarks about the Prophet Mohammad the year before.
A Special Investigative Team (SIT), with high-ranking officers like SK Bhagat (Inspector-General, Lucknow), Dinesh Puri (Police Superintendent, Crime, Lucknow) and PK Mishra (Deputy Superintendent of Police, Special Task Force) will investigate the murder.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has sought a report on the matter from the Principal Home Secretary (Home) and DGP OP Singh.
Kamlesh Tiwari’s body was transported to his native place – Mahmudabad in Sitapur district of UP – on Friday night. Family members and supporters staged a protest outside the mortuary.
