India

SC To Hear On Apr 28 Plea Seeking Independent Probe Into Killing Of Atiq Ahmad, Ashraf

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear on April 28 a plea seeking an independent probe into the killing of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj.

Atiq Ahmad (60) and Ashraf were shot dead at point-blank range by three men posing as journalists in the middle of a media interaction on April 15 night while police personnel was escorting them to a medical college in Prayagraj for a checkup.

The plea, filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari, has also sought an inquiry into the 183 encounters that have taken place in Uttar Pradesh since 2017.

Tiwari mentioned the matter for urgent listing on Monday before a bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha.

He told the bench that his plea was slated to come up for hearing on Monday but it has not been listed.

“Since five judges are not available, some cases in which dates were given have not been listed. We will try to list this on Friday (April 28),” the CJI said, adding, some apex court judges are down with COVID-19 while some others are indisposed due to other reasons.

The Uttar Pradesh Police had recently said that it has gunned down 183 alleged criminals in encounters in the six years of the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led government and this included Ahmad’s son Asad and his accomplice.

Also read: BJP leaders Amit Shah, J P Nadda To Hold Roadshows In Southern Karnataka

The plea filed in the apex court has sought the setting up of an independent expert committee to probe the killing of Atiq and Ashraf.

“Issue guidelines/directions to safeguard the rule of law by constituting an independent expert committee under the chairmanship of a former Supreme Court justice to inquire into the 183 encounters which had occurred since 2017 as stated by Uttar Pradesh Special Director General of Police (Law and Order) and also to inquire into the police custody murder of Atiq and Ashraf,” it said.

Referring to Atiq’s killing, the plea said “Such actions by police are a severe threat to democracy and rule of law and lead to a police state”.

“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 submitted.

It said extra-judicial killings or fake police encounters have no place in the law.

When the police turn “daredevils then the entire rule of law collapses and generates fear in the mind of people against the police which is very dangerous for democracy and this also results in more crimes,” the plea stated.

With PTI Inputs

Shruti Chaturvedi

Recent Posts

Centre Disburses Rs 1,162 Crore Under Telecom PLI Scheme

The Central government has disbursed ₹1,162 crore under the Telecom PLI Scheme till 31 March,…

10 mins ago

UAE Expands Visa-On-Arrival Policy For Indian Citizens To Boost Bilateral Ties

Under the revised rules, Indian passport holders with valid residence permits from Australia, Canada, Japan,…

2 hours ago

India’s Flavours, Culture & Heritage To Grace New York At ‘NMACC India Weekend’

India is all set to bring its essence of aroma, taste, and culture to the…

3 hours ago

Home Minister Amit Shah Rules Out Talks With Maoists Holding Weapons

Union Home Minister Amit Shah reaffirmed the Centre’s commitment to end Naxalism by 31 March…

3 hours ago

Gold, Silver Prices Fall Sharply This Week; Global Trends, Geopolitical Easing Behind Dip

There is some relief for buyers as gold and silver prices dropped notably this week.…

4 hours ago

Ethanol Blending Boosts Farmers’ Income, Saves Rs 1.36 Lakh Crore In Forex: Hardeep Puri

India’s ethanol blending programme has reduced the country's dependence on crude oil imports and increased…

5 hours ago