In a recent development, the Uttar Pradesh government informed the Supreme Court that, in an ongoing investigation into the killing of gangster and former Lok Sabha member Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf in Prayagraj on April 15, "no fault" has been found on the part of the police. The state emphasized its commitment to conducting a fair and impartial investigation, not only in this case but also in other instances, including the killing of gangster Vikas Dubey and various police encounters since 2017.
The status report, filed in response to petitions seeking an independent probe into Ahmad and Ashraf's killing, provides details of the investigations mentioned in the plea filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari. The report stated that the investigation into the killing of Ahmad and Ashraf is "partially ongoing to collect evidence on some other points," PTI reported.
Regarding encounters, including that of gangster Vikas Dubey in July 2020, the state affirmed that these incidents were thoroughly investigated in accordance with guidelines and directions issued by the Supreme Court in its previous verdicts. The report highlighted that in each of the seven incidents raised by the petitioner, no fault was found on the part of the police where investigations are complete.
The state's report, submitted before the Supreme Court, responded to two separate petitions—one filed by Tiwari and another by Aisha Noori, sister of gangster-politician Ahmad—seeking a comprehensive probe into the killing of her brothers. The report noted that Tiwari's petition largely re-agitated issues already decided and closed by the apex court in earlier proceedings.
The report also addressed grievances against the report of Justice BS Chauhan Commission, which investigated the encounter killing of Vikas Dubey in 2020. The Commission, headed by former apex court judge Chauhan, had concluded that the police version of the incidents could not be doubted. The status report emphasized that not only did the Justice Chauhan Commission find no fault with the state's actions, but other inquiries, including criminal and magisterial, also reached the same conclusion.
Furthermore, the report reiterated that Atiq Ahmad was a notorious gangster with a criminal record, involved in over 100 cases. The state assured regular monitoring of police self-defence actions where accused persons have died. It stated, "In all police encounter incidents since 2017, details related to the killed criminals and the results of the investigation/enquiry are collected and scrutinised every month at the police headquarters level."
The state emphasized its commitment to continuous monitoring of police actions and immediate remedial or corrective steps, if necessary.
