Murdered Apple executive cremated, ministers face family ire
Lucknow, Sep 30 : Apple executive Vivek Tiwari, shot dead by a policeman on Saturday after he did not stop his vehicle during checking, was cremated here on Sunday amid heart rending scenes.
The last rites took place at the Bhainsakund crematorium.
Medical Education Minister Ashutosh Tandon and Law Minister Brajesh Pathak, who went to attend the cremation, faced a hostile reception as angry relatives charged them with being a part of a "trigger happy" system.
Pathak had a tough time calming the relatives and he assured all possible help to them, now and always. He promised that the guilty policemen will not be spared for their criminal action.
Kalpana Tiwari, the distraught widow of the Apple area sales manager, remained adamant that she be allowed to meet Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and that the state government give her a compensation of Rs 1 crore.
"I am worried about the future of my two daughters... They have snatched away the lone bread earner of the family. I will not relent till justice is done," she said between sobs.
The state government late on Saturday announced a Rs 25 lakh compensation to the family of the deceased and a job to Kalpana Tiwari in the Lucknow Municipal Corporation.
This, the family says, was not enough for the family to lead their lives and sustain the education and other expenses of the two daughters of Tiwari, who was shot by police constable Prashant Chowdhary after a late night chase of his car.
The policeman alleged that they found Vivek Tiwari's vehicle suspiciously parked and that when they tried to ask him to come out, he sped away after knocking down their mobike.
In a statement, the accused constable has claimed that he was hurt in the incident and his bike was damaged.
This was, however, found to be untrue in the initial probe. The constable has been suspended and sent to jail on charges of murder.
He and his companion Santosh Kumar have been dismissed from service on the directive of Director General of Police O.P. Singh who has since tendered an apology for the action of the men in uniform.
A complaint was also lodged against the two constables at the Gomtinagar police station by the widow of the deceased.
An FIR was separately lodged on Saturday based on the complaint of Sana Khan, a colleague of Tiwari who alleged that the constable shot him from close range without any provocation.
The state government has set up a special investigative team (SIT) to probe the killing which has caused outrage.
Vishnu Tiwari, brother-in-law of the deceased, said they had no faith in the SIT probe as it would try to save fellow policemen. He sought a CBI probe into the matter and security for the family of the deceased.
The family has alleged that Prashant Chowdhary, the accused constable, was drunk and was demanding money from Tiwari. On failing to get any money, he opened fire.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
