Road rage behind attack at Tiwari’s North Avenue home, two arrested

NO SECURITY Delhi BJP chief’s car had hit a WagonR, Tiwari says the men who ransacked his house wanted to kill him We have given the video footage to the police. I have full faith in Delhi Police. They will investigate and unravel the conspiracy against me.

A group of men allegedly broke into the house of Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari and assaulted his staff shortly after midnight on Sunday in retaliation to a road rage dispute in central Delhi.

The Delhi Police have not ruled the possibility of a “deeper conspiracy”, though their initial probe indicated that the attack was a fallout of the road rage.

According to Braja Kishore Singh, deputy commissioner of police (New Delhi), Tiwari’s driver, while driving a Scorpio, allegedly hit the WagonR car while taking a turn towards the service lane some 10 metres before the MP’s residence.

The WagonR, being driven by Jai Kumar, brother of a cook at the President’s house, overturned and the driver was injured. Tiwari was not inside the car at the time.

An argument broke out between the occupants of the two cars. Tiwari’s men reportedly left the scene and went inside the MP’s house. “Jai Kumar called his family members and associates. Together, they entered the house. They assaulted Tiwari’s personal assistant Abhinav and cook Ashok Pathak,” said Singh, adding that a police team reached after Tiwari’s staff called the police control room.

The attackers allegedly ransacked Tiwari’s office and bedroom. The footages from CCTV cameras installed in the house showed that the alleged attackers were accompanied by a Delhi Police officer. The entire episode lasted for over 10 minutes.

Tiwari was not at his North Avenue home at the time. He first informed DCP Singh and then tweeted about the incident at around 2 am, claiming it was meant to be an attack on his life. Later in the day, the Delhi BJP president held a press meet and claimed that it was an attempt to kill him, as the alleged intruders were looking for him after they made forced entry into his home.

“The men who attacked my cook and staff actually wanted to harm me. They were armed with iron rods and swords and had arrived in a tempo, cars and motorcycles. The attackers were hurling abuses when they entered my house. They were shouting ‘Manoj Tiwari ko Bahar Nikalo (Take Manoj Tiwari out)’. My staff members were so terrified that they had to hide in my bedroom and other parts of the house,” said Tiwari.

The parliamentarian alleged that a policeman in uniform was accompanying the intruders and helped them ransack his house. He denied having any knowledge about the road rage . “We have given the video footage to the police. I have full faith in them. They will investigate and unravel the conspiracy,” he said.

Jai Kumar, 38, and his brother Jaswant, 33, were arrested after being identified by the MP’s employees. The arrested men’s brother Jagdish Kumar is a cook in Rashtrapati Bhawan. Police said they all live in government quarters in President’s house, close to Tiwari’s bungalow.

A close aide of Tiwari said that they had written to the previous Delhi Police commissioner for better security. “After our request during the municipal polls, an additional gunner was provided for three to four days. We have been asking for adequate security for him as currently, he has no security guard at home. He deserves a Y-grade security at least,” he said.

Senior police officers said that Tiwari’s personal security will be increased if needed.