New Delhi: Three days after the murder of Hindu Mahasabha leader Kamlesh Tiwari in Lucknow, the shooters remain absconding, even as the police has recovered the weapon - a blood stained knife,  used in the killing.

As per the Gujarat Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) which is probing the case, one of the key suspects involved in the murder had created a fake identity on social media to befriend the deceased.

The leader was stabbed and shot dead at his residence in Lucknow on Friday. He was then rushed to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The assailants managed to flee after committing the crime.

Local leader Jaimin Bapu has told Gujarat ATS that a man named Ashfaq created an account on Facebook with the fake name of Rohit Solanki in June this year to connect with the Hindu Samaj Party leader who was shot dead at his residence in the Naka area of Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow on Friday.

He also said Kamlesh was scheduled to meet Rohit on October 18, the day when he was murdered.

Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police OP Singh had also stated that accused knew Tiwari as they spent around 30 minutes with him on the pretext of gifting him sweets.

DGP Singh had said that the shooting of Tiwari was "purely a criminal activity conducted by two people".

Maulana Mohsin Sheikh (24), Khurshid Ahmed Pathan (23) and Faizan (21) -- three accused - have been arrested from Surat by a joint team of the Gujarat Police and the Uttar Pradesh Police in the case.

Later, an Ahmedabad court granted 72-hour transit remand to three accused in the murder case of Kamlesh Tiwari.

(with inputs from ANI)