Lucknow: A joint team of Uttar Pradesh Police, Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) and Gujarat Police on Saturday detained three persons from Surat in the daylight murder of former Hindu Mahasabha Chief Kamlesh Tiwari at his office in Lucknow.
Earlier, local police had detained Maulana Anwarul Haq and Mufti Naeem Qazmi - both from western UP's Bijnor district.
Addressing a press conference here, Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) O.P. Singh said, "A joint team of UP and Gujarat Police has detained Maulana Mohsin Sheikh, Faizan and Khurshid Ahmed Pathan and is interrogating them."
Singh said the police initially detained five persons from Surat, but two were released later. "Their activities are being monitored," said Singh.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is also keeping an eye on the probe and it may soon take over the probe from the UP Police soon.
According to Gujarat Police sources, the attackers wearing saffron clothes, had walked into Tiwari's office in Khurshid Bagh on Friday on the pretext of handing over a box of sweets. Inside the office, the assailants opened the box, took out a gun and sprayed bullets at Tiwari and fled. Tiwari was rushed to the hospital but could not be saved.
Tiwari, a former Hindu Mahasabha chief, had in January 2017 formed the Hindu Samaj Party and was known for making controversial remarks. In 2015, he was arrested and the National Security Act (NSA) was slapped on him after he made derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Recently, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court revoked the NSA against Tiwari.
"In the initial interrogation, no criminal background has been established of the three detained. If needed, we will take them into remand, and bring them to UP for questioning," said the DGP.
He said, "In the FIR, two people -- Maulana Anwarul Haq and Mufti Naeem Qazmi -- were named as conspirators. These two have also been detained and they are being questioned."
Asked if the murder had any links with terrorist organisations, Singh said: "So far no link with any terrorist organisation has been established. We are looking into all the angles."
This is the fourth murder of a right wing leader this month in UP. On October 8, BJP leader Chaudhary Yashpal Singh was gunned down in a similar manner in Deoband, while on October 10, BJP leader Kabir Tiwari was shot dead in Basti. Kabir Tiwari was also a former student leader and student groups went on a rampage after his killing, burning down government vehicles.
On October 13, BJP corporator Dhara Singh, 47, was gunned down by unidentified assailants in Saharanpur.
Earlier, police recovered security footage from outside Kamlesh Tiwari's home. The footage showed two men and a woman carrying a bag containing a box of sweets that police believe hid weapons.
The suspects had claimed the sweets were a Diwali gift for Tiwari and were therefore allowed entry into the house, where they spent 36 minutes. Speaking on Friday, DGP OP Singh said this indicated the killers were known to Tiwari.
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