Page 46 - 15MAY2019E

Unhappy marriage seen

behind Rohit’s murder

Mystery shrouds the death of Rohit Shekhar Tiwari, son of late Congress leader ND Tiwari,
who was strangulated to death. His wife Apoorva has been arrested as police is still trying to

find out the real motive behind the gruesome murder, writes sarrah

PS officer Rajiv Ranjan (AGMUT that Apoorva made a video call to treatment when she received a call
2003 Batch), who joined at Delhi Rohit around 7.30 pm on April 15 while from home that he was unwell and
as ACM (Crime) subsequent to his he was returning from Uttarakhand. bleeding from his nose. She then took
transfer from Puducherry Police Rohit Shekhar, his mother, a former an ambulance that brought Rohit to the
I to Delhi Police, has confirmed officer with ND Tiwari, and his wife had hospital. At that time of the phone call,
that “We have arrested Apoorva with gone to Uttarakhand for a few days and Rohit Tiwari’s wife Apoorva, his cousin
the help of scientific evidence and FSL returned around 10.30 pm on April 15. Siddharth and domestic help were at
(forensic) report. She confessed that He had gone to Uttarakhand to vote on home, the police said. Rohit Shekhar
she has murdered her husband and April 12 and had returned to Delhi on was declared dead in hospital.
cited unhappy marriage as the rea- the night of April 15. While it was initially believed to be
son. She entered Rohit’s room on April a case of natural death, doctors from
16 and executed the crime. She later AIIMS had raised doubts, following
destroyed the evidence. All this hap- Rohit’s wife Apoorva, which a case of murder was registered.
pened within 90 minutes. Initially, she a lawyer practising Police after visiting AIIMS found that
tried to mislead the Crime Branch team a pillow seemed to have been used to
which arrested her”. in the Supreme strangulate him. The police from day
Her arrest followed questioning by one ruled out the theory that Rohit
the Crime Branch of the Delhi police. Court, has been sent Tiwari, 40, had died of a cardiac arrest.
In fact, the Crime Branch had ques- to 14-days judicial Rohit was found unconscious with
tioned the family members of Rohit his nose bleeding and the autopsy
Shekhar Tiwari, son of late Congress custody by a Delhi report suggested that Rohit died
leader and twice Chief Minister of court as police due to strangulation. The autopsy was
Uttar Pradesh, N.D. Tiwari, who the conducted by a medical board, com-
police said was strangulated to death informed the court prising five senior doctors of AIIMS. The
on April 16. Apoorva Shukla Tiwari, that her custodial medical board unanimously concluded
wife of Rohit Shekhar Tiwari has been that the cause of death, in this case, was
arrested for his murder. Officers from interrogation was asphyxia as a result of strangulation
the special investigation team (SIT) of not required and smothering.
the Crime Branch, probing the death The post-mortem report suggested
reportedly found the concrete evidence that the cause of death was unnatu-
against Apoorva Shukla Tiwari, wife of The officers went through CCTV ral, after which a case under section
Rohit. According to police, Shekhar’s footage in and around the house to 302 (Punishment for murder) has
domestic help had alleged that Shukla find leads and to ascertain the sequence been registered at the Defence Colony
had a fight with Shekhar over video call of events leading to the death. He could Police Station. The case was transferred
hours before his death. The SIT ques- be seen on one of the CCTVs in his to the Crime Branch for investigation.
tioned Shukla for around 10 hours and Defence Colony home, taking the LSO READ
also took the domestic help and the support of the wall as he walked, Additional Commissioner of Po-
official to their office in Prashant Vihar, apparently drunk. Later they had din- lice Rajiv Ranjan and Deputy Com-
where both were questioned in sepa- ner together. missioner of Police Dr. Joy Tirkey had
rate rooms. The next day, Rohit’s mother Ujjwa- questioned family members of
Investigating team of SIT found la Tiwari was at the Max Hospital for Rohit Shekhar Tiwari, including his

Tehelka / 15 may 2019 46 www.Tehelka.com