'Tewari smoked a lot, but wasn't a drug addict'

Lucknow, Jun 27: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is probing the death of IAS officer Anurag Tewari who was found dead on the road in the state capital last month, on Monday visited Baharaich, the native town of the officer, and quizzed his childhood friends.

According to sources here, the CBI sleuths gathered information about Tewari’s habits and daily life from some of his old friends in the town, 200 km from here.

The friends, according to the sources, told the CBI team that Tiwari did smoke a lot, but was not addicted to drugs as was suspected by the police during the initial stage of the probe. The team was also told that Tewari lived a simple life. The CBI sleuths spent around three hours there before returning to the state capital.

Sources said the CBI sleuths took away with them some documents and clothes they recovered from one his bags at his house in Kanungopura locality in the town.

The central investigation agency has reportedly expressed its displeasure over the initial probe by the local police for ignoring crucial evidence.

Tewari, who was commissioner, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs department in Karnataka, was found dead here last month. His body was found lying on the side of the road a few metres away from a guest house.

Various theories did the rounds after Tewari’s death. While the family members said he had fallen victim to a conspiracy by his superiors, who could have been exposed by him, police said “drug overdose” could also be a cause of death.

Tewari’s post mortem report was inconclusive though the police officials had suspected asphyxia as a possible cause of his death. The mystery further deepened after heart failure was ruled out as a possible cause.