BSP MLA and nine others chargesheeted

Lucknow, Jan 3 (PTI) Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Shekhar Tiwari and nine other accused were Saturday chargesheeted in the sensational killing of PWD engineer in Auraiya district with Uttar Pradesh 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 (Public Works Department engineer
Manoj Gupta murder) case. Of the 10 accused, six including
Tiwari have already been arrested," Uttar Pradesh Director
General of Police Vikram Singh told reporters here.

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 (Member of Legislative
Assembly) 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.

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.
PTI SAB