'Murdered' BJP leader 'orchestrated' attack

A BJP leader, who was reportedly ''murdered'' in Lucknow a few days ago, had ''orchestrated'' the attack on himself.

This he reportedly did to ''implicate'' his neighbours to settle personal scores and get government security.

Police officials, who cracked the case after arresting the three reported attackers, said in Lucknow on Monday that BJP leader Pratyush Mani Tripathi had ''orchestrated'' an attack on himself last week to implicate his neighbours, with whom he had been having a dispute over a piece of land, and also to get government security.

The assailants, who were the saffron leader's goons, were told to attack on Tripathi's shoulder and inflict light wounds but the knife was penetrated deeper and the BJP leader died of excessive bleeding.

''Tripathi had hatched a plan to implicate his neighbours and asked his henchmen to attack him... As planned, he was attacked with sticks and knives in Mahanagar locality in the state capital,'' a senior police official said.

''He also wanted government security and felt that the attack would strengthen his case for the same,'' the official added.

The plan, however, went awry and Tripathi was seriously injured in the attack and was rushed to the hospital by passersby. He, however, succumbed to his injuries later.

BJP workers had raised a hue and cry over the attack and also held demonstrations and demanded action against the police.

A senior police inspector was also suspended after the attack.