Tewari's death: SIT probing 'drug overdose' angle

The special investigation team (SIT) of the Uttar Pradesh police probing the mysterious death of Karnataka cadre IAS officer Anurag Tewari, who was found dead near a guest house here on May 17, is investigating the possibility of ''drug overdose'' as a possible cause of the death.

According to sources here, the SIT sleuths, who had recently visited Tewari's house in Bengaluru, had found a large number of cigarette butts and some suspicious articles, which could be psychotropic drugs.

A large quantity of cigarette butts had also been found in the room at the guest house, where Tewari had been staying before he was found dead.  “We have sent the substances for forensic examination,” said a senior police official here.

The police said that two Karnataka bureaucrats, who had met the SIT sleuths during their visit to Bengaluru, suspected foul play in Tewari's death but refused to record their statement.

Tewari's family members, however, rubbished the police theory and said that it was being spread to prove that there was no foul play. The family members reiterated that the SIT was not investigating the case seriously.

Tewari was commissioner, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs department in Karnataka. His body was found lying on the side of the road a few metres away from a government guest house here. Tewari’s post-mortem report was inconclusive and doctors have preserved his viscera and heart for further forensic examination to ascertain the cause of his death.