Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Shekhar Tiwari and nine other accused were on Saturday chargesheeted in the sensational killing of PWD engineer in Auraiya with UP Police claiming that the victim had earned the legislator's ire after he refused to give him money and clear the bills of contractors close to him.
"Ten accused, including BSP MLA Shekhar Tiwari have been chargesheeted in the (PWD engineer Manoj Gupta murder) case. Of the 10 accused, six including Tiwari have already been arrested," Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police Vikram Singh said in Lucknow.
The MLA's wife Vibha and four others including a former corporator Bunty Jatav have been found involved in criminal conspiracy, he said.
"Verbal, circumstantial and scientific evidence have been found against the accused and they had been included in the chargesheet," he said.
Tiwari claimed that he was drunk when the incident happened.
"I was drunk... the door was broken and he (Gupta) was beaten up and taken to police station," he said in a video clipping of his "confession" aired by a TV channel.
Asked whether Gupta was pleading them to release him, the MLA said "Yes, he was shouting. He was asking us to release him... I was not in my senses."
The forensic team from Agra has collected important evidence from Gupta's house, the DGP said adding that the wooden baton and electric wire used in giving Gupta "five shocks" have also been recovered.
On the motive of the crime, the DGP said so far the "political conspiracy" angle in the murder has not come to light though he admitted that the MLA was angry with the engineer after he refused to pay an amount demanded by him.
"Shekhar Tewari has confessed that he was angry with the engineer because he never came to meet him like his predecessors and had not been providing him Rs 50,000 to Rs 70,000 as frequently as had been done earlier," the DGP said.
Non-clearance of the bills of the contractors who provided money to the MLA on a regular basis as well as the engineer's refusal to give contracts to some associates were also issues which had infuriated him.
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Tiwari made no secret about his being upset with the engineer. "The engineers before him (Gupta) used to come and meet us and ask us where work has to be done. They could give suggestions. I used to oblige them for this...I felt even this engineer should come and meet me", the MLA said.
Asked whether there was give and take, he candidly admitted "yes, we oblige". On how much he gave engineers, Tiwari said "it is not fixed" but went on to add "Rs.40,000 to Rs.50,000".
Claiming good headway in the investigations, the DGP said that all options such as the narco-analysis test of the accused were still open.
"Gupta was badly beaten and was given electric shocks by Yogendra Dohore alias Bhatia (former BSP district chief of Auraiya) and Vijay Tiwari (another associate). The post-mortem report confirmed fractures, injury marks and tell-tale signs of electric shocks at five places on the body," said the DGP.
On the role of the dismissed Station House Officer Hoshiyar Singh, the DGP said, "He was in regular touch with the MLA at the time of crime and had also failed to take prompt action when the body was dumped at the police station."
The DGP said Hoshiyar Singh has been charged with criminal conspiracy and connivance in the crime.
Gupta, 48 was killed on December 24 allegedly by Tiwari and his supporters after he refused to pay a "huge sum" for the birthday celebrations of Mayawati, a charge denied by the state government.
A seriously injured Gupta was dumped at Dibiapur police station by the MLA and his aides in the wee hours the same day but the SHO allegedly did not take prompt action.
Mawayati had ealier raised question on the role of the SHO claiming he was close to her rival Samajwadi Party.
On Hoshiyar Singh's reported claim that the murder was due to an extortion demand for the birthday celebrations of BSP chief Mayawati on January 10, the DGP rejected it as an "excuse" and said he should appear before the police and give his statement.
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