Five Of Rival Family Arrested
The platform which was the bone of contention for the two families
Cops at the crime scene in Saadatganj, Lucknow
Lucknow: A long-standing dispute over parking of a car beneath a banyan tree and the reconstruction of a platform around it turned deadly in the Saadatganj area of Lucknow on Monday morning, when three members of a family, including a father and son, were shot dead by their neighbours.An FIR has been lodged against eight people in this connection. The deceased were identified as Shivaji Tiwari (62), a retired stenographer in the power department, his younger brother Shivendra Tiwari (55), and Shivaji’s son Suyash (30). Shivaji was also a former district-level karyavah of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). His son Suyash was about to get married on Dec 5.Police have arrested the prime accused, Rishabh Shukla, and detained the remaining seven people. A pistol and empty cartridges were recovered, while preliminary information indicated that the main accused fired more than 12 rounds.The incident occurred around 10.35 am in Naubasta Brahmani Tola locality of Saadatganj, triggering panic in the neighbourhood. The three injured men were taken to the trauma centre of King George’s Medical University, where doctors pronounced them dead.According to the complaint lodged by Ruchi, the wife of Shivendra Tiwari, the family was embroiled in a long-running dispute with their neighbours over local issues, including the parking of vehicles and reconstruction of a platform beneath a banyan tree.Shivaji lived in the locality with his wife, Usha, and son, Suyash. His younger brother Shivendra also lived there with his wife, Ruchi, and daughter Sumedha.In the complaint, the family named their neighbours as members of the rival group. Rishabh served in the merchant navy as a navigation officer.Ruchi alleged that the neighbours repeatedly harassed her family and lodged false complaints against them at Saadatganj police station.According to the complaint, local councillor Anoop Kamal was overseeing the reconstruction work of the platform, which the Tiwari family supported, while the rival group opposed it.Disagreement over the platform contributed to tensions between the two families, with the issue of parking a car beneath the tree becoming the immediate trigger for Monday’s violence.According to the complaint, a member of the Tiwari family parked a car under the banyan tree.Around 10.35 am, Shivendra was heading to a nearby temple to offer prayers when members of the rival group confronted him over the parking issue.The accused allegedly abused Shivendra and attacked him with sticks and clubs.Hearing the commotion, Shivaji and his son Suyash rushed out to rescue Shivendra.“During the confrontation, Rishabh pulled out a pistol and opened fire on Shivendra, Shivaji and Suyash,” said the deputy commissioner of police, west zone, Jitendra Srivastava. Police reached the spot and arrested five people.Eyewitnesses alleged that Rishabh remained seated on the platform even after shooting the three men.Anoop Saxena, a neighbour, said: “The two families were always quarrelling. When they started fighting again this morning, I asked them why they were creating a scene. Rishabh asked me to call the police. I went inside my house to get my phone to make the call. While I was inside, I heard 8-10 rounds of gunfire. When I returned, I saw bodies lying on the ground.”“A few days ago, there was a major altercation between the two sides, following which the matter was taken up by Saadatganj police,” he said.
