Insulting Prophet Muhammad led to Kamlesh Tiwari’s murder, claims Gujarat ATS; mother blames BJP

Ahmadabad/Lucknow, Oct 19: Derogatory speeches against the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) led to the murder of Hindu Samaj Party founder Kamlesh Tiwari, claimed the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), which today arrested three persons from Surat, even as victim’s mother squarely held the Bharatiya Janata Party responsible.

"We have arrested three persons as of now who are involved in the murder of Kamlesh Tiwari. The arrested persons have been identified as Rashid Pathan, Maulavi Mohsin Sheikh and Faisal Pathan," a senior ATS official said. However, as of now no criminal past of these accused have emerged.

A sweet box and receipt of purchase of sweet dated October 16 from "Dharti Sweets" located in Udhna area in Surat had been found at the house of Tiwari in Lucknow that led the cops to the suspects in Surat, reports claimed quoting officials.

"The video footage of the shop confirmed the suspects and with the help of Surat crime branch and special operation group, we picked up eight suspects. Out of them, three have been arrested who took part in the murder," the ATS officer said.

Mother blames BJP

However, Kamlesh Tiwari’s mother accused a BJP leader, Shiv Kumar Gupta, of being the main perpetrator behind the crime. She termed Shiv Kumar Gupta as a 'mafia' who has plenty of cases against him and she apparently requested the police to bring him in for questioning. "He had taken over as the president of local temple and killed my son over a dispute regarding construction of the structure," she said.

The allegation can put the Uttar Pradesh government in a more dicey situation as Tiwari's mother had previously blamed the government for failing to protect his son despite repeatedly asking for security.

Refuting those claims, Director General of Police (DGP) O P Singh in a statement issued by the Uttar Pradesh government said: "Tiwari was provided security for the past some months under which, apart from a gunner, security personnel was provided from the local police station."

Earlier, the family said that they would not cremate Tiwari's body until Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityantah pays them a visit, with Tiwari's wife threatening to burn herself.

But in a contradictory narrative, a lesser-known outfit called the Al-Hind Brigade claimed responsibility late on Friday night for the murder of Hindu Samaj Party president Kamlesh Tiwari here, though the authenticity of the claim could not immediately be verified.

"We at Al-Hind Brigade claim the responsibility for killing Kamlesh Tiwari, who tried to defame Islam and Muslims. More to come," the outfit said in a WhatsApp message that was widely circulated.

On the other hand, the police have booked three people based on the complaint lodged by Tiwari's wife. ASP Tripathi said, "On the basis of the complaint lodged by the wife of the deceased, police have registered an FIR against three people, including an unknown person."

Two of the accused have been identified as Mohammed Mufti Naeem Kazmi and Imam Maulana Anuwarul Haq, both residents of Bijnor district, and they have been booked under Sections 302 (murder) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC.