The Lucknow Police on Sunday recovered a blood-stained knife from a hotel room in the Lalbagh area of the city where two people allegedly involved in the murder of Hindutva leader Kamlesh Tiwari were staying, ANI reported. The police also claimed to have recovered blood-stained kurtas worn by the suspects, and the pistol used for the crime.

“The two suspects had registered themselves as Sheikh Ashfaq Hussain and Pathan Moinuddin Ahmed,” the police said in a statement. “They came here at 11.08 pm on October 17. At 10.38 am the next day, they went out, returned at 1.21 pm and finally left the hotel at 1.37 pm. A saffron garment and a towel with bloodstains were found in the room.”

Tiwari, purportedly a member of Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha, was attacked inside his office in Khurshed Bagh on Friday. The assailants slit his throat. They also took out a pistol from a box of sweets and shot him. He died while undergoing treatment in the hospital.

Arvind Chaurasia, manager of Hotel Khalsa, where the accused stayed, said he had informed police about the suspects after he saw the video footage of the murder on television. “When the two did not return to their room, we tried contacting them on the mobile numbers registered with us,” he told ANI. “Both the phones were switched off. They were carrying Surat identity cards. We saw their belongings upon opening their room and informed the police.”

Senior Superintendent of Police Kalanidhi Naithani said the two suspects booked a room in the hotel as it was barely a 20-minute walk to Tiwari’s office-cum-residence in Khursheed Bagh from there, Hindustan Times reported. “The blood samples have been collected for forensic examination,” he added.

Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police OP Singh said that three people have been taken into custody by a joint team of the Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat police in connection with the murder. The accused were identified as Maulana Mohsin Sheikh, Khurshid Ahmed Pathan, and Faizan. They were arrested on Saturday in Surat by a joint team of the Gujarat Police and the Uttar Pradesh Police. They will be taken to Uttar Pradesh on Monday, ANI reported.

Also read: Kamlesh Tiwari murder: His last Facebook live video and his mother’s statement blame BJP

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