Vivek Tiwari Murder: Is UP Police trying to save constable who killed Apple executive?

Vivek Tiwari, a 38-year-old Apple executive was shot dead by an Uttar Pradesh police constable in the early hours of Saturday morning in Lucknow’s Gomti Nagar after he allegedly refused to stop his car at a police check-post. The matter came in media limelight in no time, prompting the police to arrest accused constable Prashant Chaudhary and his colleague. A murder case has also been registered against them.

Reacting to the incident, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath assured action against the accused and said a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe will also be ordered if need be.

“It was not an encounter. An investigation will be conducted in this incident. If needed, we will order a CBI inquiry into the incident," the UP CM said.

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However, the Police and even one of Yogi Government’s ministers seemed to be weakening the case by bringing "self defence" angle into it. State Irrigation Minister Dharampal Singh justified the "crime" by terming it a “real encounter”.

“Constable said that he did it under self defence cover but self defence can't exceed the threat perception,” ANI quoted DGP OP Singh as saying.

The minister went a step ahead and said, “There was no mistake in the encounter. Only real criminals are being shot. Justice will be given to all but whoever will make mistakes will be punished.”

#WATCH: UP irrigation minister Dharampal Singh says on death of Lucknow resident Vivek Tiwari, "encounter me aisi koi galti nahi hui. Usi ko goli lag rahi hai jo vaastav mein criminal hai. Nyay sabko, jo galti karega usko dand milega" pic.twitter.com/tfQ3neDycP

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) September 29, 2018

The accused constable claimed that he mistakenly shot the bullet and alleged that Tiwari tried to kill by driving his car over him.

“I didn’t shoot at him. The bullet was shot by mistake. He hit me with his car and drove it over me three times with the intention to kill me. I demand that my FIR must be registered,” Chaudhary said.

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The woman who was in the car with Tiwari at the time of incident rejected Chaudhary’s allegations outrightly.

“The car didn’t stop anywhere, it was moving. Probably, because a girl was sitting with him and the area was Gomti Nagar, he (the policeman) came from the wrong side and shouted on us. It made no sense,” she said.

Meanwhile, a special investigation team (SIT) of Uttar Pradesh police, comprising SP Crime and SP Rural, Lucknow has been constituted to probe the matter.