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Former Auraiya SP suspended

LUCKNOW: With the actual culprits who executed the killing of Public Works Department executive engineer Manoj Kumar Gupta still at large, the Uttar Pradesh Government on Wednesday suspended the former SP of Auraiya, Ikramul Haq. The police officer has been charged with showing laxity in duty and not exercising effective control over local criminals.

The engineer was battered to death at his Gail Vihar residence in Dibiyapur in Auraiya district on the night of December 23-24. The local Bahujan Samaj Party MLA, Shekhar Tewari, has already been arrested for alleged involvement in the murder.

While the former SP has been placed under suspension, the former station house officer of Dibiyapur, Hoshiyar Singh, and two police gunners, Pal Singh and Gajraj Singh, who were attached to the MLA, have been dismissed. Hoshiyar Singh had earlier been suspended, while the two police gunners were arrested on Tuesday by the Auraiya police.

State Director-General of Police Vikram Singh said here on Wednesday that investigations are under way and the culprits would be arrested soon. He said the black Tavera used in the crime had been recovered from Auraiya district and further evidence was being collected to pin down the accused.

Though the UP Police chief denied that that some MLAs had registered a complaint with the Government about former Auraiya SP’s nexus with the criminals and the BSP MLA, he admitted that Mr. Haq had failed to exercise a tight leash over the criminals. He cited the example of Railway Protection Force and Government Railway Police personnel being attacked by the arrested BSP MLA yet no action being taken by Mr. Haq.

Meanwhile, Auraiya district BSP president Yogendra Dohre alias Bhatia, who has been named in the FIR lodged by the deceased engineer’s wife Shashi Gupta at the Dibiyapur police station on December 24, continues to evade arrest. A prime accused in the sensational murder, Dohre has been named as ‘Bhatia’ in the FIR, a copy of which is with The Hindu. Mr. Singh said efforts are on to arrest Dohre alias Bhatia. The FIR also mentions one ‘Tyagi’ as the other accused.

According to the D-G, ‘Tyagi’ is an alias of Vinay Tewari. Tewari, who is said to be related to the arrested BSP MLA, has been arrested.

Currently in police remand, the BSP MLA Shekhar Tewari’s interrogation has revealed that he was annoyed with the PWD engineer over his refusal to meet him frequently. The DGP said that unlike his predecessors the slain engineer refused to offer any “cut” to the MLA, which purportedly angered the MLA. Mr. Singh denied that the MLA had asked for funds for the Chief Minister’s birthday.

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