Attack was stage-managed, say police

Those who stabbed Tripathi turned out to be his acquaintances

LUCKNOW : BJP youth wing leader Pratyush Mani Tripathi, 35, who succumbed to stab injuries on December 3, had stage managed the attack on himself to put pressure on his rivals Adnan, 24, and Salman Siddiqui, 20, police revealed on Monday.

The five assailants who stabbed Tripathi were arrested on Monday. During interrogation, they admitted that they were acquaintances of the former state secretary of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) who planned the attack, said police.

The accused told cops that Tripathi asked them to attack him twice near the left shoulder. But one of the hits punctured the lung cage, causing his death. The post-mortem examination, later confirmed this, added police.

“Tripathi had earlier lodged a case of violence against Adnan, Salman and three others. He apparently wanted to put more pressure on them by naming them in another FIR regarding the attack,” informed Kalanidhi Naithani, SSP, Lucknow.

However, the plan went awry and Pratyush succumbed to the injuries. According to investigators, Pratyush planned the attack with five of his friends. They brought a large knife and surgical gloves for the attack that took place near the busy Faizabad road on the night of December 3.

“The five friends, Anil Kumar Rana, Ashish Awasthi, Mahendra Gupta, Prabhat Kumar and Amit Awasthi have been arrested,” said the SSP. The police made them accused in the case and named them in the FIR regarding the incident.

Tripathi’s killing had led to a protest by members of BJYM and other right wing groups. Senior BJP leaders, including cabinet minister Brajesh Pathak, met the deceased’s family and demanded swift action by the police.

Under pressure by the protest, the police arrested brothers Adnan and Salman Siddiqui, in a previous case, and formed two teams to investigate the matter.

When police searched the cell phone location of the two brothers on the night of incident, it was found out of Lucknow. This made investigators look into the involvement of other people close to Pratyush.

“We found that the five accused were the last people to contact Tripathi before the incident. Their involvement was further corroborated by the location of their phone near the spot where the attack occurred and a footage of CCTV camera nearby,” said VK Pandey, investigating officer of the case. However, Pratyush Tripathi’s widow, Pratima refuted the findings of the police.

“Pratyush could never plan an attack on himself,” she said .Pratima said she along with her children will stage a protest outside BJP’s office against the allegation.

TRIPATHI PLANNED THE ATTACK ON HIMSELF TO PUT PRESSURE ON HIS RIVALS ADNAN, 24, AND SALMAN SIDDIQUI, 20, SAID POLICE.