Bengaluru/Lucknow: Hours after the distraught mother and brother of Karnataka cadre officer Anurag Tiwari met the UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and expressed dissatisfaction over the handling of the investigation by Karnataka state police, the Uttar Pradesh government on Monday, recommended a CBI probe into the death of Tiwari.
The mystery surrounding the death of the 36-year-old Karnataka cadre IAS officer Anurag Tiwari deepened after the Uttar Pradesh police on Monday registered a murder case under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code against some unknown persons after the deceased officer’s elder brother Mayank Tiwari in his police complaint stated that his brother was a target as he had unearthed a scam in the department of food and civil supplies, that he was under pressure not to go public, and that his brother was “a late ‘riser’ (sic) and never went on morning walks.”
Circle Officer, Hazratganj, Avanish Kumar Mishra on Monday confirmed that the UP police had registered a murder case against unidentified persons in the matter following a complaint by the officer's brother Mayank Tiwari.
Mayank, who along with his mother met the chief minister to press for a CBI probe, alleged that the scene of crime had been washed and the mobile phone was found in an unlocked condition. "We demanded a CBI inquiry in order to find out why he was killed," his mother Sushila Devi said after meeting the chief minister.
"We are not satisfied with the police probe. The chief minister has assured us that justice will be done," said Mayank.
He has also written to the Prime Minister's Office demanding a CBI inquiry into his brother's death.
After his body was found under mysterious circumstances five days ago, Anurag's family had alleged that he was murdered at the behest of corrupt officers. In his complaint, Mayank clearly states that Anurag was an honest officer and wanted to work for the betterment of the society.
"A few days back, Anurag had told me that he had stumbled upon a major scam in the Food and Civil Supplies department of Karnataka, which he wanted to inform the PMO and CBI," he wrote. He also alleges that there was pressure on Anurag to withdraw the report which could have nailed senior officers and ministers, had it come in the public domain.
In his police complaint, Mayank states that "Anurag was under tremendous pressure from last few months and had informed two months ago that his life was under threat." Anurag was posted as commissioner, food & civil supplies.
"During discussion he had told me that he was working on some file, which can expose a big scam and many in Karnataka. He was pressurized to sign some paper, which he didn't want to sign. That's why some people were making (sic) pressure on him," states Mr. Mayank in the police complaint.
Anurag Tiwari was found dead in the early hours of May 17 near the government guest house in Lucknow in his night clothes with a minor cut on his chin. The police had initially registered a case of unnatural death (UDR) and according to them the officer had died between 4.30 am and 6 am.
Post-mortem examination had indicated that Anurag, 36, had died of asphyxia but police had said that an SIT team probing the case was awaiting the test reports of his viscera and blood samples and heart to find the exact cause of the death.
According to sources, Anurag was reportedly awake till 2 am on May 17, which was also his birthday. "If he was awake till 2 am then why did he go out of the guest house for an early morning walk and that too in his night clothes given the fact that he was not a habitual morning walker? Was he asked to come out by someone?" asked an officer.
According to another unconfirmed source, the CCTV footage of the Meerabai guest house in Lucknow's posh Hazrat Ganj area reportedly showed him stepping out with his colleague for dinner at around 11pm on May 16 but "there's reportedly no camera footage of the officer's return to the guest house. Was he in the guest house just before he died or was he somewhere else? Who did he last meet or talk to?" an officer asked on condition of anonymity.
Mayank, in his complaint has stated that his brother was an honest officer and was "transferred seven to eight times in his 10 years of career."
Anurag was transferred and posed as commissioner, Food & Civil Supplies, Bengaluru in January this year.
