Vivek Tiwari's widow names constables in fresh FIR; says have 'full faith' in UP govt after meeting Yogi Adityanath

Kalpana Tiwari, the widow of the Apple executive Vivek Tiwari, who was shot dead allegedly by two police constables in Lucknow early on Saturday, filed a fresh FIR in the case on Sunday. The latest FIR, filed at the Gomti Nagar Police Station on the basis of Kalpana’s complaint names the two accused policemen — Prashant Chaudhary and Sandeep Kumar — unlike the first one, which appeared diluted to weaken the case. Chaudhary allegedly shot Tiwari after he refused to stop his car for inspection in Lucknow’s Gomti Nagar neighbourhood. He was on his way to drop colleague Sana Khan home when the chase began. Kumar is believed to have tried to stop the car by using his cane on the vehicle. The two constables were later arrested and dismissed from duty. According to the new FIR, the police officials who reached the spot after the shooting did not allow Khan, who was with him at the time of the incident, from receiving or making calls, The Indian Express reported. It also claims that the Uttar Pradesh Police had forced Khan to sign on a blank paper. After the first FIR was filed on the basis of Khan’s complaint, Tiwari’s family had rejected it, saying they had made it a weak case by not naming Chaudhary and Kumar. There have been allegations that the Uttar Pradesh Police was trying to cover up the matter and shield the two constables. The new FIR, however, names both officers and mentions Khan’s version of the events from Saturday in detail as narrated to Kalpana. The latest FIR will be the basis for the Special Investigation Team’s (SIT) inquiry into the incident . The SIT had visited the spot of the shooting on Sunday, and a forensic team had recreated the scene. They also collected samples from the two vehicles involved in the case, Tiwari’s SUV and the motorcycle in which the police had followed Tiwari and Khan. Moreover, the Uttar Pradesh Human Rights Commission on Monday took suo moto cognisance of the case, saying that the facts available so far were “not only disturbing, but also a gross violation of human rights”. It has sought a response within two weeks from the Uttar Pradesh government, chief secretary, principal secretary (home) and director general of police. Yogi Adityanath meets Kalpana On Monday, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath offered additional compensation of Rs 5 lakh for Tiwari’s mother to fund her hospital expenses. He announced the aid while meeting Kalpana. Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police OP Singh and Principal Secretary (Home) Arvind Kumar were also called to the meeting. [caption id=“attachment_5293581” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Yogi Adityanath meets Kalpana Tiwari, the widow of Vivek Tiwari who was shot dead in Lucknow by an Uttar Pradesh Police constable on 29 September. Image Courtesy: 101Reporters[/caption] The extra compensation came a day after the chief minister said that the government will provide “all kinds of help” the family needs, and that :the family can meet him anytime they want". Adityanath had earlier said that the government does not accept such criminal offences. “It is a very sad incident. Such criminal offences will not be accepted by the government. Immediate action was taken; the accused was arrested and a case was registered. For the family of the deceased, the government will provide all kinds of aid needed,” Adityanath had told reporters. After meeting with Adityanath, Kalpana said she has “faith in our state government” and “today, that faith has further strengthened”. “He heard what I had to say and assured help,” she told reporters after meeting Adityanath.

#WATCH: Kalpana Tiwari, wife of Vivek Tiwari who was shot dead by a police constable in Gomti Nagar area on 29 September, says after meeting CM Yogi Adityanath, "I had earlier also said that I have faith in our state government and today that faith has further strengthened" pic.twitter.com/EkloDLhfIE

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) October 1, 2018

The chief minister had earlier announced compensation of Rs 25 lakh and a government job to the Tiwari family. He had said that the state would order an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation, if needed. Uttar Pradesh minister agrees with cover-up allegations Uttar Pradesh law and justice minister Brijesh Pathak agrees with the allegation that the police were “hushing up” the killing. “The lone eyewitness was kept in police custody for nearly 17 hours and her signature was taken on a plain piece of paper,” he was quoted as saying by PTI. “The FIR was not registered the way it should have been. There is no consistency between the statement of Khan and the FIR, and efforts were made to hush up the case.” “I am also seeing that distinguished cops are trying to cover up the matter,” NDTV quoted him as saying. “The government will take notice of this, too. I agree with the family on this. Some officers have tried to cover up (the shooting). The first FIR was written in a wrong manner. There will be an investigation against the police, too.” ‘I was scared, I wrote what they asked me to’ The second FIR quotes Khan as saying that Chaudhary had alighted from the motorcycle, “put his pistol against the wind shield and fired with intention to kill”, according to The Indian Express. It also says that she was pressured into signing a blank paper and also write what they asked her to. “…I cried a lot for help and tried to stop people. I tried my best to save him (Tiwari), but the policemen that came were neither letting me make a call nor receive a call,” she was quoted as saying in the FIR by The Indian Express. “They pressurised (sic) me to sign on a blank paper, and later under the pressure of the police and media officials, made me write on the paper. As I was a lot scared, I wrote whatever they asked me to.” In the second FIR, the two constables have been charged with Section 302 (punishment for murder) of the Indian Penal Code, The Times of India reported. With inputs from 101Reporters