It is not yet clear if Mr. Tiwari, who was the president of the ultra-right fringe outfit Hindu Samaj Party, was shot or stabbed or both.

Kamlesh Tiwari, a controversial self-proclaimed saffron leader, died in Lucknow on October 18 after being attacked by two unknown assailants at his office.

It is not yet clear if Mr. Tiwari, who was the president of the ultra-right fringe outfit Hindu Samaj Party, was shot or stabbed or both. A pistol was recovered from the spot but the body reportedly had stab wounds, sources said, even as police is investigating the case.

Senior Superintendent of Police Lucknow, Kalanidhi Naithani said two people had come to visit Mr. Tiwari at his office-cum-residence in the Naka area of the Uttar Pradesh capital. The three had a discussion on the first floor of the office and even had tea, but soon after the two unidentified persons attacked Mr. Tiwari, Mr. Naithani said.

An injured Mr. Tiwari was taken to the Trauma Centre where he was declared dead, the officer said.

Prima facie, it appears the two attacked Mr. Tiwari due to “personal animosity”, the SSP said, adding that it was likely that the victim knew the assailants personally.

U.P. DGP O.P Singh said the accused spent 30 minutes with Mr. Tiwari at his house and even handed him a box of sweets.

“It is a purely criminal activity done by two people,” Mr. Singh said amid questions of law and order problems over the incident after supporters of the deceased staged protests in Lucknow. The police have also deployed the Special Task Force to investigate the case. The accused would be arrested within 48 hours, assured Mr. Singh, adding that police had found “vital clues and CCTV footages”.

A weapon was recovered from the spot, even as police have formed 10 teams to investigate the case.

An undated photo of Hindu Samaj Party leader Kamlesh Tiwari, who was killed in Lucknow on October 18, 2019. | Photo Credit: PTI

A friend of Mr. Tiwari's, while speaking to media soon after the incident, said that one of the assailants was wearing saffron clothes and carried a pistol.

Mr. Tiwari shot into the limelight when in 2015 as a member of the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha he triggered protests by a section of Muslim groups over his derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad. The Uttar Pradesh government then slapped the stringent National Security Act against Mr. Tiwari but the Allahabad High Court revoked it soon after.

Mr. Tiwari contested the Lok Sabha election 2019 from Faizabad as an independent but lost deposit. He had several criminal cases against him, including those for promoting enmity between groups on ground of religion, outraging religious feelings and defiling places of worship.