UP cops tried to hush up tech executive's murder: Minister

Uttar Pradesh minister Brijesh Pathak Sunday hit out at the state police for showing "laxity" and "hushing up" the murder of a tech company executive in the city's posh Gomti Nagar neighbourhood.

Apple executive Vivek Tiwari was shot dead early Saturday morning by a policeman when he allegedly refused to stop his car.

"The killers deserve to be in jail and they must get stringent punishment. Action should also be initiated against officials who showed laxity in this case and tried to hush up the murder," Pathak told PTI.

"I will also request the honourable court to hand over the entire matter to a fast-track court so that the aggrieved family can get justice soon. I have also sought time from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath so that the aggrieved family can meet him," he said.

The state law minister expressed "shock" over the fact that even policemen could indulge in such an act.

"The death of Vivek Tiwari has shocked us. Even the police could do such a heinous act, I did not expect," he said.

Pathak also talked about the various anomalies reported in the case.

"The lone eyewitness was kept in police custody for nearly 17 hours and her signature was taken on a plain piece of paper. The FIR was not registered in the way it should had been. There is no consistency between the statement of Sana (who was accompanying the victim) and the FIR. And efforts were made to hush up the case," he said.

The minister also hit out at those police officials who tried to safeguard the accused cop.

Two constables have been arrested on the basis of an FIR lodged by Tiwari's colleague Sana Khan, who was travelling with him at the time of the incident.