Anurag Tewari

Career Tewari was commissioned in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in 2007. During this period, he conducted regular public visits and held administrative meeting called "Development Days". He launched a social media initiative #askDC for public grievance redressal.

Tewari implemented a scheme to deepen farm ponds using funds from the MGNREGA for groundwater recharge. The Government of Karnataka subsequently adopted this program statewide as "Raitha Belaku" (Light of the Farmers) in 2017.

Death and investigation Discovery and initial response Tewari was found dead on a roadside near the Meera Bai State Guest House in Hazratganj, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh on 17 May 2017, his 36th birthday.

Murder case registration On 22 May 2017, the Hazratganj police registered a First Information Report under Indian penal code section 302 (murder) against unknown persons, based on a complaint filed by Tewari's brother Mayank Tewari. Tewari's family alleged he had been under pressure from superiors and that he had expressed concerns about his safety two months before his death. The Uttar Pradesh government recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigation following a meeting with Yogi Adityanath.

A Uttar Pradesh minister stated in the assembly that Tewari was preparing to expose financial irregularities in the Karnataka Food Department worth 2,000 crore. The Karnataka government denied this claim.

CBI investigation The CBI took over the investigation in July 2017 and registered a murder case under Indian Penal Code Sections 302 and 201.

In February 2019, the CBI filed a closure report concluding that Tewari died in an accidental fall resulting in asphyxiation, ruling out both suicide and homicide. Tewari's family rejected this finding. The CBI filed a second closure report in January 2021.

In September 2022, a special CBI court in Lucknow rejected both closure reports on a protest petition filed by Mayank Tewari. The court ruled that the closure reports could not be accepted, as of October 2022, the case remained officially open.