Thaindian News

Lucknow, Dec 30 (IANS) Police inspector Hoshiar Singh and two police gunners too could be involved in last week’s murder of a government engineer in Auraiya last week for which a ruling party legislator has been arrested, a senior Uttar Pradesh police officer said here Tuesday.Public Works Department (PWD) executive engineer Manoj Kumar Gupta was killed in Auraiya town of central Uttar Pradesh early Dec 24. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) legislator Shekhar Tiwari, who has been arrested, and his muscle-men tortured him to death for his refusal to pay up Rs.5 million for Chief Minister Mayawati’s birthday bash next month, the opposition parties have said.

“We have reasons to believe that the two police gunners provided to the MLA for personal security too were involved in the attack on Gupta’s residence. While they were put under arrest Tuesday, they would now be booked not only for criminal conspiracy but also for their direct role in the killing,” Additional Director general of Police (Law and Order) Brij Lal told reporters.

“Auraiya police inspector Hoshiar Singh, who has already been placed under suspension, was also likely to be arrested and booked for his passive role in the criminal conspiracy,” he added.

“This case has to be made an example so that it becomes a deterrent for other shady policemen who become partners in crime.”

Singh is considered to be close to Tiwari and political circles say his posting in Auraiya was at the legislator’s behest. It was to him that Tiwari handed over fatally injured Gupta - and the police two hours later took him to the district hospital whose records described him as brought dead.

Investigations have revealed that after beating Gupta at his home, Tiwari and his men dragged him to a Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL) guest house, where the legislator was camping, and gave him electric shocks with the official security men being party to it, police sources said.