LUCKNOW Four days after three men of a family were gunned down in broad daylight over a neighbourhood dispute in Saadatganj, additional chief secretary (home) Sanjay Prasad and director general of police (DGP) Rajeev Krishna visited the bereaved household on Friday, assuring the surviving women and children of adequate security, a speedy trial in a fast-track court and stringent punishment for those found guilty.
The shooting claimed the lives of Shivaji Tiwari, 62, his brother Shivendra Tiwari, 55, and Shivaji’s son Suyash Tiwari, 30, leaving the household with no surviving adult male members. The high-level visit to the Brahmani Tola locality of Naubasta came amid local outrage and allegations that police had ignored prior complaints of harassment against the accused neighbours. Listening to the family’s grievances, DGP Krishna promised that the state government and police would pursue the case aggressively to secure maximum punishment under the law. Family demands death penalty During the interaction with top officials, the victims’ kin expressed dissatisfaction with the police action taken so far and sought immediate protection for the women and children left behind. Usha Tiwari, a family member, demanded death penalty for prime accused Rishabh Shukla and a police encounter of co-accused Rajesh Shukla and his cousin Ravindra Shukla. They never imagined that the accused harboured such intentions. There was no previous threat or serious dispute. Neeraj also demanded the strictest punishment for the accused and immediate arrest of Rajesh Shukla and Divya, who remain absconding.
Neeraj Shukla, brother-in-law of deceased Shivaji Tiwari and maternal uncle of Suyash Tiwari, said: “Our brother-in-law, nephew and his brother were simple, decent people. It was a minor disagreement over the construction of a platform (chabutra) being undertaken by the municipal corporation at the councillor’s initiative,” he said.
The triple murder took place earlier this week following an argument over parking, the use of vacant land near a banyan tree and the construction of a public platform (chabutra) initiated by the municipal corporation. He alleged that the family was not satisfied with the police action so far, pointing out that one of the absconding accused had earlier been externed from the district.
