UP CM Adityanath forms SIT to probe Mukhtar Ansari aide Sanjeev Maheshwari's murder

Gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari's aide Sanjeev Maheshwari Jeeva was shot dead on the premises of a Lucknow court on Wednesday, police said. A policeman and a two-year-old girl were injured in the incident.

The alleged assailant, identified as Vijay Yadav (24), a resident of Jaunpur district, was caught on the spot after the shooting took place right outside a courtroom at around 4 pm, police said. Eyewitnesses said the assailant was dressed as a lawyer and fired around six shots.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed the formation of a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the incident.

The assailant opened fire when Jeeva (48), who was serving a life term in a Lucknow jail, was brought to the court for hearing in a case, police officials said.

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A resident of Muzaffarnagar district in Uttar Pradesh, Jeeva is an accused in the murder cases of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Krishnanand Rai and former state minister Brahm Dutta Dwivedi as well as in 22 other cases, including those of fraud and criminal conspiracy.

The girl and the police constable who sustained gunshot injuries in the shooting were rushed to a hospital, the officials said, adding that the child's condition was critical while the constable was out of danger.

The accused hails from a village located within the Kerakat police station limits in Jaunpur. Circle Officer of the area Gaurav Sharma told PTI that he worked as a plumber in Lucknow.

"He visited his village on May 10 to attend a marriage function and returned to Lucknow the very next day," the officer said.

He added that the cases lodged against Yadav include one at the Deogaon police station of Azamgarh for allegedly kidnapping a girl and raping her. Charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act were slapped against him in this case that was lodged in 2016.

Another case against him was lodged under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions) and 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) was lodged at the Kerakat police station in 2020.

The SIT, which has been asked to conclude the probe within a week, will be headed by Additional Director General of Police (Technical) Mohit Agarwal, government officials said, adding that the other members of the team are Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Neelabja Chowdhary and Inspector General of Police (Ayodhya range) Praveen Kumar.

Special Director General of Police (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said, "The SIT will look into all aspects, including lapses in security arrangements at the court."

Kumar has also written to all district police chiefs across the state to ensure proper security arrangements at court premises in the wake of the incident.

Dwivedi, along with his gunner, was killed on February 10, 1997 in Farrukhabad district. A trial court convicted Jeeva on July 17, 2003 for commissioning the killings of Dwivedi and his gunner and also committing a murderous assault on his driver. The court sentenced Jeeva to life imprisonment in the case.

Following the shooting incident on the court premises, lawyers staged a protest against the state police, accusing it of failing to ensure law and order and beef up stricter security arrangements.

Read | Mukhtar Ansari gets life sentence in Awadhesh Rai murder case

"Jeeva was waiting on the corridor just outside a special ADJ (additional district judge) court where he was to appear, when the assailant opened fire," said Additional Director General of Police (Lucknow Zone) Piyush Mordia.

According to court officials, the accused was to appear in a case of murder lodged in Lucknow.

The incident comes less than two months after gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were gunned down in Prayagraj by three assailants while being taken to a hospital in police custody for a medical examination on April 15.

Opposition parties have hit out at the BJP-led government in Uttar Pradesh over the incident.

At a press conference here in the evening, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav said the law-and-order situation in the state has worsened.

"It seems that the BJP government has given a free hand to criminals who kill whoever they want, wherever they want. Killings are taking place in police custody and at police stations and courts. People are not safe anywhere in Uttar Pradesh," the former chief minister said.

In a tweet in Hindi, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati said: "The sensational shooting that resulted in a killing inside the Lucknow court premises is a big challenge for the government in terms of law and order and crime control in Uttar Pradesh. There is panic among the public due to such incidents. The government should take strict steps, this is the demand of the BSP."