Kamlesh Tiwari murder case: Bareilly cleric arrested on charges of helping accused

New Delhi: A maulana (cleric), identified as Sayyed Kaifi Ali of Bareilly, was on Friday arrested by the police on charges of helping the killers of Hindu Samaj Party leader Kamlesh Tiwari.  

The maulana was detained on Tuesday by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). He was arrested after a long interrogation under Section 216 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The accused had visited the cleric after they killed Tiwari in Lucknow on October 18.

Tiwari was murdered at his home in Naka Hindola area in Lucknow over a hate speech given by him in 2015. Ashfaq Shaikh and Moinuddin Pathan are the two prime accused in the case. They were arrested last week while they were trying to enter Gujarat from Rajasthan. Shaikh and Pathan are residents of Surat. Shaikh worked as a medical representative while Pathan worked as a food delivery boy. The duo was brought to Lucknow around midnight on Wednesday.

Till now, six people have been arrested in connection with the case. The other arrested accused are Rashid Pathan, Faizan Sheikh and Maulana Mohsin Sheikh.

Tiwari's post-mortem report revealed that he was stabbed at least 15 times in the upper part of the body from jaws to the chest. All wounds were inflicted within 10 cm of one another. Two deep cut marks were also found on the neck points which suggest that his killers tried to slit his throat. 

The team of doctors, which conducted the post-mortem, found a point 32 bullet on the backside of the skull.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday sanctioned a financial help of Rs 15 lakh and a house to Tiwari's wife. Adityanath has also instructed the authorities to take the accused to a fast track court for a speedy trial.