The auto-rickshaw driver, who ended up driving SBI field officer Manas Bajpai away from the crime scene after he shot his wife Divya Mishra dead outside an ICICI Bank branch in Gomti Nagar on Thursday afternoon, was no stranger to him. Police officers questioning him told HT the driver had known Manas for some time. They said he had been hired by him earlier and was often called to drive him to office despite Manas owning a Bullet motorcycle.
The details emerged during hours of questioning of the driver by the police, giving investigators a clearer picture of why Manas chose the same auto-rickshaw on the day of the shooting.
According to police, Manas booked the auto-rickshaw operated by the driver, Pramod Kumar, 40, just a day before the incident and allegedly asked him to remain available for two or three days.
Pramod was told to report around 11am at Manas’s home on Thursday, over an hour before he allegedly shot Divya.
“The driver used to sleep on the pavement outside or near Manas’s house, making the two familiar with each other. The driver had earlier ferried Manas on several occasions and was therefore not a person who had been randomly hired for the day,” said a police official wishing not to be named.
Manas was not particularly comfortable driving himself, according to the auto driver’s statement to police. Despite owning a Bullet motorcycle, he would often hire the same auto driver for trips to his office, investigators said.
{{/usCountry}}Manas was not particularly comfortable driving himself, according to the auto driver’s statement to police. Despite owning a Bullet motorcycle, he would often hire the same auto driver for trips to his office, investigators said.
{{/usCountry}}Manas’s maternal uncle Awdhesh Shukla, a retired sales tax official, told HT at the cremation ground on Friday that Manas was not a good driver and often preferred other modes of transport.
“He feared driving too on Shaheed Path,” he added.
For the auto driver, however, Thursday’s booking appeared routine. He said Manas had called him after booking the vehicle the previous night and told him that he would need the auto for the next few days. He was supposed to be paid for the arrangement, but the payment never happened after the events that unfolded later that morning.
The driver said he arrived only hours before shooting.
Investigators are also examining the sequence of Manas’s movements before the shooting. The auto driver told police that he was not involved in any recce and had come only on the morning of the incident after being asked to report around 11am. “We are also verifying his statement from the technical point of view,” the police official added.
According to the driver, Manas met him around Husadiya crossing and asked him to drive towards Mithaiwala crossing. The driver said Manas got out of the auto there and asked him to wait.
A short while later, Divya arrived.
The driver told police he had no idea that the woman was Manas’s wife. He said Manas stopped and assaulted her and that, before he could understand what was happening, Manas allegedly shot her. Divya collapsed after being hit by the bullet.
The driver said he froze after seeing the shooting and could not immediately move the auto. Manas then allegedly got inside and ordered him to drive him home.
When the driver hesitated, Manas allegedly pressed both firearms against his head and threatened to shoot him too. The driver told police that Manas repeatedly ordered him to start the vehicle and take him home.
The driver said he had no choice but to comply. He drove Manas towards his residence, becoming an unwitting getaway driver moments after witnessing the shooting.
No clean chit yet
Police said their preliminary investigation has not found evidence suggesting that the auto driver was part of the shooting or had prior knowledge of Manas’s plan. However, police have not yet given him a clean chit and are continuing to verify his role and contacts.
His call detail records have been examined and police said they have so far not found suspicious communication linking him to the crime. Investigators also found that the driver had not travelled outside Lucknow in the past three months.
Police are continuing to examine his movements, phone records, and his association with Manas to rule out any prior knowledge of the crime.