Apple executive shot dead in Lucknow: Yogi Adityanath promises action, victim's family agrees to SIT probe

Following adverse media coverage, the Uttar Pradesh Police has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the death of a 38-year-old salesman of Apple gadgets who was shot at from a close range by an on-duty policeman. The victim, Vivek Tiwari also rammed into a pillar and later succumbed to his injuries.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Lucknow Kalanidhi Naithani as saying "A SIT has been formed under SP crime. I have personally sent a request to District Magistrate for a magisterial inquiry into the incident."

The probe team will comprise of SP, Crime, and SP Lucknow Rural and it will be headed by the Lucknow IG. The SIT will submit their report at the earliest, Anand Kumar, ADG Law And Order said.

Meawhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath assured of strict action against all those found guilty. "It was not an encounter. An investigation will be conducted in this incident. If needed, we will order a CBI inquiry into the incident.

Speaking to the media, the brother of Vivek Tiwari said, "The government has agreed to most of our demands. An SIT will be formed to investigate the case and if we so wish, there will be a CBI probe."

Uttar Pradesh DGP, OP Singh termed it a "pure crime" and expressed regret while assuring of prompt action. "It's an unfortunate incident in which a person was shot dead by 2 constables. Constable said that he did it under self defence cover but self defence can't exceed the scale of perceived threat. We got a case lodged. It is a pure crime," OP Singh said.

The incident is from Friday night when when the victim was reprotedly on his way to drop a female colleague home. However, police claims that they noticed suspicious activity in the stationary SUV. Although, the exact chain of events is a matter of investigation, the police released a video statement, documenting the prima facie details of the incident.

According to Naithani, the incident happened at around 1.30 am on Saturday when Tiwari was heading home after the launch of iPhone X plus with his colleague, Sana Khan. The two policemen on patrol duty approached them for a routine check. When the constable at Gomtinagar extension approached Tiwari's SUV for checking, he tried to flee and in the process even hit the bike of the two policemen.

One of the constables, identified as Prashant Kumar, fired when the SUV allegedly tried to run him over in an attempt to flee. The policeman then shot Tiwari in the face at a close range.

According to the statement, Kumar and another police personnel, who was present at the time, have been booked for murder after Khan filed an FIR.

Devendra Singh Negi, Director of Lohia Hospital where Tiwari was brought for treatment, as saying that the victim had a bullet injury



near the ear on the left side.

Anand Kumar later revealed details of the post-mortem report. "Post-mortem report establishes a firearm injury from a bullet on the left side of the chin, viscera of the victim has been preserved. A thorough investigation is being conducted to establish the sequence of events."

Accused cop claims shot fired in 'self-defence'

Kumar said he opened fire in 'self-defence' after Tiwari tried to run him over in an attempt to flee. "We saw a suspicious car and the lights were off. When we reached the car, whoever was inside it started the car immediately. We parked our bike in front of the car. He hit our bike. I waved at him to stop but he reversed the car and hit us again. We asked him to come out. But he tried to flee. When he reversed his car for the third time and hit our bike with full force, I fell and got up. I drew my pistol with the intention to scare him. But when he tried to run me down, I had to shoot in self-defence," he told reporters.

However, Khan, who also filed a complaint later, had a different tale to tell. According to NDTV, "The police just waylaid us and tried to stop us forcefully. Sir (Tiwari) didn't stop the car. We didn't realise who they were. There was no accident. We were trying to leave from the site. We hit the bike but they had already gotten off the bike by then. One of them had a lathi. The man in the front just pulled out a revolver and fired," she said.

Khan said that after they were fired at, Tiwari got scared and hit the car against a pillar of an underpass and sustained more injuries.

Victim's family calls for government intervention

Tiwari's wife Kalpana said the police had no right to shoot her husband. She claimed that the police version says that they were found in a "compromising position in the car" but even if that was the case, they should have arrested him. "Who gave them the right to kill my husband?," she said

She demanded that state chief minister Yogi Adityanath should speak to her regarding the matter. She has also demanded a CBI investigation in the matter.

Deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya is expected to meet the family on Sunday.

Kalpana also wrote a letter to Adityanath, putting forth her demands.

While the family members had earlier demanded a compensation of Rs 1 crore, they have now agreed on Rs 25 lakh. Further, while Kalpana had sought a job in the police department, she will get a job in the municipal corporation.

Tilakraj Tiwari, Vivek's uncle, told ANI that the incident is a "clear case of murder". "I've served as a police inspector, and I know a person is never shot in the neck," he said. "Such an incident never occurred the way it has under Yogi Adityanath government," he added.