LUCKNOW: Days after an Uttar Pradesh engineer was allegedly beaten to death by a ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) legislator, the victims predecessor in the public works department (PWD) has accused the same politician of regularly extorting money for party funds.

CD Rai, an executive engineer with the PWD, said in Mathura where he is now posted that "MLA Shekhar Tiwari and his supporters often used to pressure engineers for money for party funds." Tiwari and his supporters have been accused of lynching PWD engineer MK Gupta in Auraiya district on Wednesday. The MLA fled the scene and was arrested from Kanpur Rural district.

The legislator also used to demand that certain PWD contracts should be given to builders or contractors close to him, alleged Rai, adding: "If engineers voiced objections, they were threatened with dire consequences."

Asked to name the political parties whose MLAs indulge in extortion, Rai said: "Most of the time, legislators of the ruling party indulge in extortion."

Rai also claimed that if engineers did not comply with the extortion demands or raised objections, they were transferred.

The controversy over the lynching of a PWD engineer, alleging "departmental rivalry and kickbacks" as the reason for the crime, seems to have fallen flat with a minister stating that "no PWD engineer was involved."

The police have now retracted their claim that two PWD engineers had joined ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Shekhar Tiwari to lynch engineer MK Gupta on Wednesday in Auraiya district, 250 km. Now the killing is being attributed to two local BSP workers, who are known to be the cohorts of the Tiwari.

Gupta was beaten to death in the early hours Wednesday in Auraiya because he declined to meet the MLAs demand of Rs50 lakh for Chief Minister Mayawatis birthday bash on January 15 - a charge the government has refuted.

The FIR registered with the local police station in Auraiya mentions the names of two persons - "Tyagi and Bhatia" that his wife Shashi Gupta had overheard.

"We have zeroed in on the culprits, but it would be premature to disclose their identities as it could affect the investigations," said Additional Director General of Police (Law and order) Brij Lal.
Source : Central