Apple exec murder: Cops seek bravery award for accused

Ignoring flak from different quarters over the killing of an Apple executive by one of their colleagues in the state capital allegedly after the former failed to stop his car, Uttar Pradesh cops have sought ''bravery award'' for the accused constable and also decided to observe 'black day' on Friday to protest action against him.

A leader of an association of the state police on Thursday said that a meeting of the constables would be held at Allahabad on Saturday in which the issue would be discussed at length and the future strategy would be chalked out.

''More than 300 police constables from different parts of the state are likely to attend the meeting,'' the leader said here.

He said that the constables could also decide to go en masse on a day's casual leave and wear black badges to register their protest against the arrest and dismissal of Prashant Chaudhary, who had shot Apple executive Vivek Tiwari dead last week.

''Chaudhary should be given bravery award... he could have been crushed to death had he not fired,'' said the leader.

A campaign had already been launched on the social media for collecting funds to help Chaudhary and another cop, who too was sacked, for meeting legal expenses in fighting the case in the courts.

UP police chief O P Singh, however, rejected reports that there was any resentment in the police force over the sacking of the two cops. ''Ours is a disciplined force... they will not do anything which is illegal,'' he said.

Vivek Tiwari, who was an executive with Apple, was shot dead by a cop early on Saturday morning in the posh Gomti Nagar extension area in the state capital, while he was on way to drop one of her female colleagues home.