The special investigation team probing Vivek Tiwari’s death, headed by IG Lucknow range Sujeet Kumar, continued its investigation at the crime scene on Tuesday, 2 October, ANI reported. SP Crime Dinesh Singh and a forensic team was also present at the spot.
Along with the lone witness in the case, Sana Khan, the SIT arrived at the crime scene in Lucknow on Tuesday to recreate the scene for the second time.
An official told The Times of India that Sana was asked to precisely narrate the whole sequence of events.
Vivek, a 38-year-old Apple sales executive, was allegedly shot dead by two police constables – Prashant Chowdhary and Sandeep Kumar – in Lucknow's Gomti Nagar on Saturday, 29 September, for ‘refusing to stop during routine checking’.
Vivek was travelling with a female colleague when the incident took place. Speaking to ANI on Tuesday, she said, “We were returning home when two bike-borne police personnel - Prashant and Sandeep - came from front, and Prashant shot at him. The bullet was fired from the front. Few truck drivers were present there, but they didn't help”.
Kalpana Tiwari, Vivek’s wife, met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday, 1 October, and said her faith in the state government had "further strengthened".
Speaking to ANI after meeting Adityanath, Kalpana Tiwari said:
“I had earlier also said I have faith in our state government, and today that faith has further strengthened.”
The UP government is likely to take action against the Lucknow SSP, and has reportedly pulled up the state’s Director General of Police over the issue, reported News18, quoting sources.
Sonia Gandhi Expresses Support to Kalpana
Former Congress President Sonia Gandhi spoke to Kalpana Tiwari on the phone and expressed her condolences and support, reported ANI.
A delegation of Gandhi’s representatives had also met Kalpana on her behalf earlier.
Would Have First Taken Action Against the Cops: Mayawati
Hitting out at the Yogi Adityanath government in the state, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati said if she were the chief minister, she would have first taken action against the accused cops, and then met the family of the victim.
“If I were the chief minister, I would have first taken action against the involved cops, and only then met the victim’s family. Not the other way round, like the chief minister did,” Mayawati.
Akhilesh Yadav Demands Compensation
Former Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav met Vivek Tiwari’s at their residence in Lucknow on Monday.
He also demanded from the government that they help the families of all victims of fake encounter, and that Vivek Tiwari’s family be given Rs 5 crore compensation.
Fresh FIR Against Cops
A second FIR was filed in the case on Sunday, 30 September, a day after Tiwari was killed. In the fresh FIR, constable Chowdhary was accused of opening fire on Vivek.
According to the FIR, Vivek feared that the two constables "may misbehave" with Sana, his collegaue, and tried to move on when constable Kumar tried to "put his baton inside the SUV," reported Hindustan Times.
Chowdhary, on the other hand, opened fire on Vivek by "putting his pistol's nozzle on the front windshield," the report said.
Kalpana alleged that Sana was not allowed to reach out to anyone, and later was forced by the police personnel to narrate the events, according to them, allegedly in favour of the constables, Hindustan Times reported.
(With inputs from Hindustan Times and the Times of India.)
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