The NHRC taking suo-motu cognizance of newspaper reports issued notices to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police, Uttar Pradesh for their comments on the death of executive engineer of PWD Manoj Gupta allegedly caused due to beating by the ruling BSP, MLA Shekhar Tewari in Auraiya in the wee hours of Wednesday, the 24th December 2008. The reports alleged that MLA had been demanding 50 Lakh rupees from Gupta.