BENGALURU: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday took over the investigation into the mysterious death of Karnataka cadre IAS officer Anurag Tewari in Lucknow. The Uttar Pradesh Special Investigation Team (SIT) was probing the case earlier.
The move follows a request from the Uttar Pradesh government to the Centre on May 24 to hand over the case to the central investigating agency. On May 22, an FIR was registered under IPC Section 302 (murder) at Hazratganj Police Station in Lucknow against unknown persons based on a complaint by Anurag’s brother Mayank Tewari. The family had also written to the Prime Minister’s Office seeking a CBI probe.
Anurag Tewari (36), an IAS officer of the 2007 batch from Karnataka cadre, was serving as Commissioner of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department. He was found dead by the roadside under mysterious circumstances on May 17 morning in Lucknow, incidentally, his birthday. The autopsy confirmed injuries on his body but the local police ruled out any foul play in his death. Therefore, there was a demand for a CBI probe into the unnatural death from many quarters.
The case has been assigned to Santosh Kumar, Additional Superintendent of Police, CBI, and a team has reached Lucknow for further investigation. “We have started the investigation on Friday,’’ a CBI official told Express.
Anurag’s pet sent to caretaker
Bengaluru: A month after Anurag Tewari was found dead in Lucknow UP, his pet Huli was sent to a caretaker in Bidar on Friday. For Anurag, his Labrador was more than a pet dog. “Every day, after returning from office, he used to spend a lot of time with it,” Anurag’s brother Mayank told Express on Saturday.
“For two days after my brother was found dead, Huli refused to eat anything and was depressed. According to Mayank, things seemed to have had changed from February. “From February, Anurag started leaving Huli on the lawns. That apart, he also got six CCTV cameras installed. He was feeling threatened,’’ he said. Mayank said they have full faith in the CBI. “The SIT had not done anything. We hope the agency will look into all the details to get to the truth,” he said.