Right wing leader murdered at home; tension in Lucknow

Tribune News Service

Lucknow, October 18

The Lucknow police are on high alert following the broad daylight murder of Kamlesh Tiwari, founder of right wing outfit Hindu Samaj Party, in the congested Khurshid Bagh locality on Friday.

Angry supporters of Tiwari took to the streets and forced shopkeepers to down the shutters in the busy Aminabad market. A large number of police and additional Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) have been rushed to the area and are keeping an eye on the situation.

A former president of the Hindu Mahasabha, Tiwari was apparently killed by persons known to him who disappeared after killing him. Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police OP Singh said the killers met with the victim and remained with him for 36 minutes. 

Doctors at the Trauma Centre of the King George Medical University revealed that Tiwari's throat had been slit with a sharp instrument and he had succumbed to his injuries in the hospital.

Lucknow SSP Kalanidhi Naithani said vital clues had been recovered from CCTV footage in the area. He said the Lucknow police had formed 10 teams to speedily investigate the case and book the culprits. A firearm has been recovered from the spot but no arrests have been made so far.

Eyewitnesses say two men wearing saffron scarves met with the right wing leader on the pretext of gifting him Diwali sweets. Once inside Tiwari's residence they fired multiple shots at him and allegedly slit his throat. 

Tiwari shot to fame when on November 30, 2015 he made allegedly derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad causing uproar.

Despite Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath government's claim to have improved the law and order situation Tiwari's murder happens to be the fourth such incident in the state this month.