Plea filed in SC for independent committee headed by ex-SC judge to probe Atiq, brother killing

A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court for a direction to set up an expert committee headed by a former apex court judge to investigate the killings of gangster-turned- politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf under police custody on April 15.

Advocate Vishal Tiwari filed the petition also seeking an inquiry into the 183 encounters that have taken place in Uttar Pradesh since 2017.

Former MP Ahmed and his ex MLA brother were shot dead by three assailants, posing as journalists, while they were being escorted by police personnel for a medical check up in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj district on Saturday night.

Read | UP cops form SIT to probe killing of Atiq Ahmed, brother Ashraf

The plea sought guidelines to safeguard the rule of law by constituting an independent expert committee under the chairmanship of a former Supreme Court judge and also to inquire into the 183 encounters which had occurred since 2017 as stated by Uttar Pradesh Special Director General of Police (Law and Order).

The petitioner claimed the murders of Ahmed and his brother under police custody "are a severe threat to democracy and rule of law”.

The plea said extra judicial killings or fake police encounters do not have a place under the law.

It further contended that in a democratic society the police cannot be allowed to become a mode of delivering final justice, as the power of punishment is only vested in the judiciary.

Read | Appalling state of affairs in Prayagraj

"The extra judicial killing or fake police encounters have been very badly condemned under the law. In a democratic society the police cannot be allowed to become a mode of delivering final justice or to become a punishing Authority. The power of punishment is only vested in the judiciary," the plea said.

The petitioner also raised question mark over the Commission's inquiry report, saying, "The entire story of encounters of Vikas Dubey and his aides appears to be fictional and false. All the accused were killed while they were in the custody of police and were taken to Kanpur in transit remand. In all encounters, the vehicles in which the accused were being transported, either got punctured or met an accident. The story of police appeared to be concocted, dramatic and false."