Arrested BSP lawmaker confesses to killing engineer: police

Lucknow, Jan 2 (IANS) Arrested ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) legislator Shekhar Tiwari has confessed to having brutally beaten PWD executive engineer Manoj Kumar Gupta on Dec 24, leading to his death, the police said Friday.

Additional Director General of Police (law and order) Brij Lal told reporters here Friday evening, 'During the course of interrogation, Shekhar Tiwari admitted that he had beaten up Gupta because of his refusal to cooperate in clearing bills related to works undertaken by the MLA's henchmen.'

Brij Lal said, 'The role of Tiwari's wife too is being probed as she was found to have destroyed some evidence in the GAIL guest house where the engineer was subjected to physical torture, which led to his death.'

Tiwari was stated to have told the police that unlike Gupta's predecessors, who were always ready to sign on the dotted line for a price, Gupta had become a stumbling block and would not clear the bills of contractors enjoying proximity to the lawmaker.

'Another grudge that Tiwari bore against Gupta was that he refused to call on the MLA, who was used to other engineers remaining at his beck and call,' the ADG said.

Gupta was allegedly lynched to death on Dec 24 in Auraiya, 225 km from here.