The body of Hindu outfit leader Kamlesh Tiwari, who was killed last week, bore 15 stab wounds and a bullet injury, according to a post-mortem report, PTI reported.
Tiwari, 45, was shot once in his face and the bullet was found stuck below his chin. He also had multiple injuries on his face and neck, according to the autopsy report.
According to experts, it appears that the assailants first opened fire on Tiwari. They then attacked him with a knife when the bullet got stuck in the pistol while they tried to fire the second bullet.
The police have already recovered the pistol and knife allegedly used by suspects Ashfaq Sheikh and Moinuddin, both residents of Surat, who were arrested by the Gujarat Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) on Tuesday.
A court in Ahmedabad has granted a 72-hour transit remand for both the accused to be taken to Uttar Pradesh, where the case will be heard.
Lucknow DGP OP Singh said the police had been trailing them for a while, based on evidence that they had found. He added that whether the suspects were in Bareilly or Shahjahanpur, the police had been on their trail.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday sanctioned immediate financial help of Rs 15 lakh to Tiwari’s wife.
A senior state government official said that the chief minister also sanctioned a house for the kin of the deceased in tehsil Mehmoodabad in Sitapur district.
HOW WERE THE TWO SUSPECTS CAUGHT?
Their location was traced through technical surveillance as they contacted their family members and friends after the duo ran out of cash, the police said. They will be handed over to UP police, which is investigating the case.
Shaikh, a prime suspect, allegedly impersonated his colleague by forging his Aadhaar card to join the Hindu Samaj Party (HSP) led by Tiwari, reported PTI.
Shaikh allegedly replaced his colleague Rohit Solanki’s photo on the latter’s Aadhaar card with his own and changed the birth date. Solanki told reporters that he had no idea about this.
“I used work as a medical representative for a pharma company and Ashfaq Shaikh was my immediate senior. Since he was the area manager, I submitted a copy my Aadhaar card to him as per the company policy,” he said.
Shaikh aka Solanki was inducted into the HSP by its Gujarat Unit President Jaimin Dave who said he was not aware of the former’s original identity.
He also told officials that Ashfaq created an account on Facebook under the fake name of Rohit Solanki in June this year to connect with Tiwari, adding that the victim was scheduled to meet ‘Rohit’ on 18 October.
The UP Police on Monday, 21 October, had released photos of the two suspects. It had declared a reward of Rs 2.5 lakh for the arrest of each.
THE CASE SO FAR
Kamlesh Tiwari (45), the head of the Hindu Samaj Party, was killed at his home in Lucknow’s Naka Hindola area on 18 October. He was formerly associated with the Hindu Mahasabha.
Eight persons, including five from Surat, two from Bijnor and one from Nagpur in Maharashtra, were taken into custody in connection with the murder case, which is being probed by the Uttar Pradesh Police.
Three people were earlier arrested in Gujarat’s Surat, identified as Faizan Yunus Bhai, Maulana Mohsin Sheikh and Rashid Ahmed Khursheed Ahmed Pathan.
Two others – Mohammed Mufti Naeem Kazmi and Imam Maulana Anwarul Haq – were detained in Uttar Pradesh’s Bijnor after being named in the complaint filed by Tiwari’s wife.
On Saturday, the Anti-Terrorism Squad of Maharashtra Police arrested a man from Mominpura locality in Nagpur in connection with the murder, identified as Sayyed Asim Ali.
HOW HAS TIWARI’S FAMILY REACTED?
Reacting to the arrest of the two suspects, Tiwari’s mother Kusum said that they should be hanged.
“We are very happy with the arrest of the accused persons. They should all be hanged. I’m satisfied by the government’s action.”Kusum, Kamlesh Tiwari’s mother
Expressing similar views, Tiwari's son, Satyam, thanked the Gujarat ATS and the UP government for standing by the family.
"Now, they should be hanged once they are identified," he said, according to PTI.
Tiwari's mother had earlier alleged that he was killed by a "local BJP leader" due to a temple dispute in a village. She had also named the leader.
Tiwari was cremated at his native place in Mahmoodabad after the district administration succeeded in convincing his family members that their demands will be fulfilled.
Kamlesh Tiwari’s relatives mourning his death.
(Photo: ANI)
Earlier, Tiwari's wife, Kiran, in a complaint to the police, had said, “Around 12:30 pm, my husband was sitting in his office, located on the first floor of the house and speaking to some unknown persons. I was in another room. Suddenly, for nearly 4-5 minutes, there was no conversation. I came out to enquire and saw my husband lying in a pool of blood. The two persons, who had come to meet him, were running out of the office.”
She further alleged, “In 2016, Mohammed Mufti Naeem Kazmi and Imam Maulana Anuwarul Haq had announced a cash reward of Rs 1.5 crore on my husband's head. They have killed my husband by hatching a conspiracy.”
WHAT HAVE THE AUTHORITIES SAID?
Addressing a press conference on Saturday, Uttar Pradesh DGP OP Singh said, “The three persons who have been taken into custody in Surat are Mohsin Sheikh, Faizan and Rashid Ahmed. So far there is no terror angle associated with this incident.”
The DGP added that the suspects were “radicalised” and appeared to have targeted him for his inflammatory remarks made in 2015, adding that it is working towards arresting the two who carried out the crime in Lucknow.
Singh added that from the initial investigation, it looks like Rashid was the mastermind of the attack, while Faizan purchased the sweet box that the conspirators used to enter Tiwari’s house.
Meanwhile, Himanshu Shukla, DIG Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) told news agency ANI that the three accused in Gujarat have confessed to the crime.
UP Chief Minister Adityanath on Saturday said that the assailants were allowed to meet Tiwari by the security personnel posted at his residence after Tiwari gave the nod, PTI further reported.
The killers sat with Tiwari, sipped tea, ate food and then the personal aide of Tiwari and his son were sent to the market to purchase something, and it was during this period that Tiwari was murdered, he said.
"The elements who create an atmosphere of fear and terror in the state will be strongly dealt with, and their plans will be crushed," CM Adityanath told reporters.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI)
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