Kamlesh Tiwari shot dead: UP Police have formed 10 teams to track down the killers

Highlights Hindu Samaj Party leader shot dead at his residence in Lucknow

Suspects entered Kamlesh Tiwari's home on pretext of giving Diwali sweets

Police form teams to catch killers; recover pistol and CCTV footage

Kamlesh Tiwari, the leader of a political organisation in Uttar Pradesh called Hindu Samaj Party, was shot dead at his residence in Lucknow this afternoon. Eyewitnesses say two men, one of whom was wearing a saffron scarf, met with him on the pretext of gifting Diwali sweets and, once inside his home, allegedly slit his throat and shot him multiple times with a firearm before escaping. Mr Tiwari died as he was being rushed to hospital. The police have not yet made arrests in the case but have recovered a pistol from the scene of the crime.

Kamlesh Tiwari founded the Hindu Samaj Party two years ago. In 2015 he allegedly made derogatory remarks against the Prophet Muhammad, which created huge controversy and massive protests. He was arrested in connection with the case and charged under the National Security Act (NSA), which the Allahabad High Court recently revoked.

Police say that prima facie this is a case of personal enmity and that the killers were known to the Kamlesh Tiwari. According to OP Singh, the Director-General of Police, the killers met with the victim for 36 minutes.

As many as ten teams have been formed to crack this case, according to Lucknow Police Chief Kalanidhi Naithani. Important clues have been recovered from CCTV footage in the area.

This is the fourth such incident in Uttar Pradesh this month.

On Saturday BJP corporator Dhara Singh, 47, was shot dead by unidentified attackers while on his way to work at a sugar mill in Sahranpur district.

Only a few days before that another BJP leader - former student activist Kabir Tiwari - was killed in Basti district. His death provoked student groups into a violent rampage and the burning of government vehicles.

Kabir Tiwari's death also prompted the transfer of District Superintendent Pankaj Kumar, against whom a departmental inquiry has been initiated.

Finally, on October 8, a third BJP leader - Chaudhary Yashpal Singh - was shot by bike-borne attackers also in Deoband district. Yashpal Singh was the former District Vice President of BJP Kisan Morcha and his elder brother Chaudhary Shiv Kumar is the headman of their home village of Miragpur.

With inputs from IANS, ANI