Public Works Department (PWD) engineer M K Gupta was beaten to death in Auraiya for refusing to pay for chief minister Mayawati's birthday celebrations. The state administration has denied the allegation.

According to sources, BSP MLA and his supporters tortured Gupta after he refused to pay Rs 50 lakh for the birthday celebrations of Chief Minister Mayawati on January 15. Marks of torture and electric shocks were found on the body.

According to Auraiya Additional SP Sureshwar, Gupta was unconscious when Tiwari left him at the police station before dawn. Gupta was declared dead when police took him to hospital. SHO Hoshiar Singh was later suspended for negligence.  

Shashi Gupta, wife of the engineer identified two persons other persons as Tyagi and Bhatia (both were also PWD engineers). She said they forced their way into the Gail Vihar colony house in Dibiyapur — police said the men claimed to be from the CID — and attacked her husband after locking her in the bathroom.

According to the family members, the engineer was under pressure to shell out a hefty amount for Mayawati's birthday celebrations.

Sharad Gupta said: "My cousin had apprised PWD Minister Naseemuddin Siddiqui about Shekhar Tiwari's oft-repeated demand for money, but nothing concrete was done to restrain him."