Kamlesh Tiwari Murder: Killer Forged Colleague's Aadhaar Card To Join Hindu Outfit, Says Cop

Lucknow: In a major revelation by the UP Police, the prime suspect in Kamlesh Tiwari murder case, allegedly forged his colleague's Aadhaar card to assume a new identity to portray himself as a member of Hindu Samaj Party (HSP) of the slain leader. According to news agency PTI, Surat resident Ashfaq Shaikh, a prime suspect in the murder case, allegedly replaced his colleague Rohit Solanki's photo on the latter's Aadhaar card with his own. He also changed the birth date on the Aadhaar card. Tiwari (45), who headed HSP, was killed at his home in Naka Hindola area in Lucknow on October 18. The initial probe into the killing highlights that Shaikh was the mastermind behind the murder plan and has been on the run along with another suspect Moinuddin. Solanki told reporters that he had no idea about Shaikh's acts before his name cropped up in the murder. "I used work as a medical representative for a pharma company and Ashfaq Shaikh was my immediate senior. Since he was the area manager, I submitted a copy my Aadhaar card to him to complete the joining formalities as per the company policy. Now I have learnt that he forged the Aadhaar card to assumed my identity," PTI quoted Solanki as saying. "Ashfaq replaced my photo with his on the Aadhaar card. He also changed the birth date, but left other details like my name and the unique identification number untouched," Solanki said. Solanki said he never found Shaikh's behaviour suspicious in the last 18 months when he had worked with him. "It was really shocking to learn that he is involved in the crime and forged my Aadhaar card," said Solanki. He said he would lodge a complaint with police against Shaikh. Shaikh aka Solanki was inducted into the HSP by its Gujarat unit president Jaimin Dave. Dave said he was not aware of the original identity of Shaikh, as the Aadhaar card submitted by the latter identified himself as Solanki. Dave further said Shaikh had sent him a friend request on Facebook. The UP police on Monday announced a reward of Rs 2.5 lakh each for arrests of two more suspects. Uttar Pradesh ATS has arrested a cleric from Bareilly, alleged to be in touch with the killers of HSP chief on Tuesday. The cleric is being brought to Lucknow for interrogation. The ATS and STF had tracked the location of the assailants, Moinuddin and Ashfaq, to Bareilly, Moradabad and Shahjahanpur. Sources told news agency IANS that the two assailants had met the cleric when they visited Bareilly after the murder on Friday last. The cleric is said to have provided logistical support to them. The investigating agencies have so far arrested seven persons in connection with the murder of Kamlesh Tiwari, who was shot dead in his office in Lucknow on October 18. (With inputs from agencies)