Kamlesh Tiwari’s Alleged Killer Moinuddin Pathan Was Zomato Delivery Boy, Company Says Did Background Check

One of the two men detained by Gujarat police in Kamlesh Tiwari murder case near Rajasthan border is a Zomato delivery boy, reports NDTV.

Moinuddinahmed Pathan and Ashfaq Hussain are the two alleged killers of Kamlesh Tiwari. Former worked as a delivery boy in Zomato.

According to police, the two accused killed the Hindu activist in response to what they deemed a statement against Mohammad, the Islamic prophet.

The two accused- one was wearing a saffron kurta- met Kamlesh Tiwari at his Lucknow residence on 18 October on the pretext of gifting Diwali sweets and discussing political matters. However, once inside his home, the accused allegedly slit his throat and shot him before escaping.

These is the second time in the year that Zomato has found itself in a difficult terrain on sensitive issues. Previously, Zomato was criticised for its Halal declaration and had to issue a clarification after virtue signalling about ‘Food has no religion’.

After the news broke about a Zomato delivery boy being involved in Kamlesh Tiwari murder, the company’s spokesperson issued a statement, acknowledging the fact.

"Our internal investigations have revealed that the said person had been on-boarded onto the Zomato platform on 17 August 2019, in Surat. Prior to his onboarding, a background check (including a check of his Aadaar card, driving license, PAN Card and past court records) had been carried out on him by an independent agency in which his background check was clear. Between that date and 6 October 2019, he had worked on and off as a delivery person on our platform. All his deliveries were in Surat as he was based there," the Zomato spokesperson said.

Stating that after 6 October, Pathan had ceased to work on Zomato of his own volition, the spokesperson said, "Delivery boys on the Zomato platform are independent freelancers".