Anurag Tiwari was smothered to death: IAS officer's brother

Bengaluru: Former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Anurag Tiwari who was the commissioner of food, civil supplies and consumer affairs, Karnataka, did not die of cardiac arrest or brain hemorrhage, said his brother Mayank Tiwari.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle over the phone, Mayank said that he had called the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in Lucknow, which was set up to investigate his brother’s mysterious death and was informed by them that the forensic examination of Anurag’s heart and brain has revealed that “death was neither due to cardiac arrest nor brain haemorrhage,” said Mayank, who added that the family was convinced that Anurag was “smothered “to death.

“He was murdered and his murder has strong links with Karnataka,” he alleged. “Anurag had booked his return ticket to Bengaluru for a 12 pm Indigo flight on May 17. He had cancelled that morning’s 6am flight on the night of May 16. We don’t know why he did that,” said Mayank.

He countered media reports that Anurag may have died of drug overdose and said that his brother was “medically fit and was not on any medication. There were some medicines found in his guest house in Bengaluru but those were for our parents, who used to visit Anurag quite frequently,” added Mayank

The family is awaiting the viscera report. The case is now being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Mayank will meet the CBI team in Lucknow shortly.

Anurag was found dead on May 17 near a government guest house in Lucknow’s upscale Hazrat Gunj police station limits at around 6.30 am.

His body was identified by his ID card, which was reportedly found in his pocket.  He had returned from mid-career training from Mussorie and had applied for a month long leave till June 3, which was rejected. He was due to return to Bengaluru on June 18.