Cleric accused of helping killers of HSP leader, released on bail

Lucknow Kaifi Ali, one of the co-accused in the murder of Hindu Samaj Party (HSP) leader Kamlesh Tiwari, was released on bail on Wednesday, after almost six weeks

Lucknow Kaifi Ali, one of the co-accused in the murder of Hindu Samaj Party (HSP) leader Kamlesh Tiwari, was released on bail on Wednesday, after almost six weeks of imprisonment.

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The bail was granted by the court of chief judicial magistrate of Lucknow. It was granted on personal bond of ₹20,000.

Ali, a cleric, was picked from his house in Bareilly’s Prem Nagar locality on October 23 and brought to Lucknow for questioning. This happened five days after Sheikh Ashfaq Hussain and Pathan Moinuddin Ahmed (residents of Surat) allegedly murdered Tiwari at his residence in Old City area of Lucknow.

According to investigators, the alleged killers Sheikh Ashfaq Hussain and Pathan Moinuddin Ahmed, visited Ali’s place in Bareilly after killing Tiwari and sought help.

Ali allegedly helped one of the two killers, Pathan Moinudeen Ahmed, in the treatment of his injuries caused while attacking Tiwari with a knife. Ahmed was treated at a private hospital in Bareilly. He later arranged a place for them to stay overnight in Bareilly.

Abdul Shahid Khan, lawyer of Ali, said: “In our bail application, we have appealed that Ali was not involved in the crime and that his name was included in the case because of enmity with the police. Ali has no criminal record in the past.”