Dreaded gangster Sanjeev Maheshwari, alias 'Jeeva', has been shot dead on the Lucknow Civil Court premises. Jeeva, who hailed from Muzaffarnagar in north-western Uttar Pradesh, was arrested in 2006 in connection with the murders of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai and former UP minister Brahmadutt Dwivedi. Jeeva and former Samajwadi Party MLA Vijay Singh had been handed life sentences for the murder of Dwivedi. Jeeva was also connected to four other murders.
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Apart from Jeeva, the Ansari brothers (Samajwadi Party MP Afzal Ansari and MLA Mukhtar Ansari), their relative Ejaz Ansari, Firdaus from Rae Bareli, and Munna Bajrangi, were named in the murder of Krishnanand Rai. According to sources, Sanjeev Maheshwari had been taken to the court for production in the case.
The attacker, who was in the garb of a lawyer, has been arrested by the police. A witness said that the attacker had fired six rounds. A constable, named Laal Mohammad, and a child were injured in the attack, said sources. Lucknow Police said that the injured have been shifted to a trauma centre for treatment.
There were more than 22 cases registered against 'Jeeva'. He was said to be close to Mukhtar Ansari.
Reacting to the incident, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said that Lucknow has become one of the most "unsafe cities". He said that the city is most unsafe for women. He questioned the police on the "rising crimes" in Lucknow. "Is it a democracy? The question is not who is being killed, but the question is that one is being murdered where security is the highest," he said.
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Lawyers at the Lucknow Civil Court, too, questioned the police and administration and staged a protest on the court premises. A lawyer told ABP News: "People are being murdered in police custody. There is clear involvement of top administrative officials in such incidents. There should be a detailed inquiry." Another lawyer said: "Today, a child of 4-5 years was injured in the attack. There is complete failure of law and order. What can we expect from the police if people are being murdered inside the court?"
UP deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya said: "Murderers will not be spared in UP... The criminal will be punished according to the law."
The incident comes barely two months after the murders of gangster turned politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were shot dead in police custody outside a hospital in Prayagraj.
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