Prof. Sudhanshu Tripathi
Indeed, it is strange to see the cold-blooded murder of mafia-don turned politician Atiq and his crime-embedded brother Ashraf on Saturday late evening in heavy policy custody. The shootout was acted at point blank range and in a perfect filmy style by the three criminals viz. Lovlesh Tiwari, Sunny Singh and Arun Maurya. That in itself speaks about their exceptional or fanatic professional caliber and undeterred will to execute the assigned job. Arousing unexpected surprise, all of them surrendered before the police immediately after this shootout.
So many questions are being raised bythe political leaders of various political parties reflecting different angles, while each subscribing to one’s own rather narrow and vested interests, particularly with a view to castigate the ruling Yogi’s BJP led government and also keeping in mind the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2024. As the state of UP sends largest number of MPs into the Lok Sabha, it obviously plays a key role in formation of a new government at the centre after each general elections. Evidently, the state of UP can’t be sidelined in any way. This is why almost all political leaders in opposition are especially focused over each development in the state lest that may prove advantageous to the ruling BJP government, completing its second term.
This is why they had jumped into the fray immediately after the state police initiated effective actions against Atiq’sson Asad and his criminal syndicates involving Gulam, Guddubumbaaz and manyother accomplices, who executed thedare-devil broad day light murder of Umesh Pal on 24th February this year. The entire gruesome killing was recorded by the CCTV installed around thecrime scene and that prompted the state government as well as the police administration to go ahead against these criminals including many relatives of Atiqand his wife Shaista as well.
As the aforesaid Asad with Gulam -killed on 13th of this month – and two otherswere killed in separate police encounters during the past fifty days, the much expected clamourregarding fake police encounters is vociferously being raised by muslim leaders like MohdOwesi, Rashid Alvi,including the community.And they are espoused by most of the political leaders in opposition like MamtaBannerjee, Ashok Gehlot, Akhileshand his wife Dimple Yadav etc.. They have pronouncedthese encounters as targeted killing of only muslim people just to arouse fear among themand further add to their claim of the muslimcommunity being victimized by the Yogi government.
Further, as they question that the Yogi government has takenover law into its own hand and has become the court indeed to dispense quick justice without trial, then where is the writ of the Indian Constitution to protect Right to Life and where is Rule of Lawin the state. Again there is no law and order and security for common man in UP and there is complete failure of the constitutional machinery, as they continue to castigate the Yogi government.
While killing of Atiq and his brother Ashraf under police custody in indeed worrisome and a major failure on the part of state police and that obviously raises many questions regarding deep lapses in their professional capability and ability to ward off such unusual incidents.
It again arouses questions as to why the police team in a large number could not open fire over the shooters to protect both Atiq and Ashraf, though they were armed with powerful weapons.
Yes, all that shoot out happened in a spur of moment to create a kind of cacophony but the police force is specially trained to face such unforeseen incidents. And their failure due to lethargy is quite clear thoughthey had been exceptionally cautious and vigilant during Atiq’s repeated to and frojourney from Sabarmati jail to Prayagarj and so was in case of Ashraf from Bareilly to Prayagraj too.
While the motive behind Umesh Pal’s killing is amply clear and well-known to all, the killing of Atiq with Ashraf is subject to sustained interrogation, as the shooter are under the police custody, and meticulous investigation by the agencies. Given the four decades long criminal record of Atiq and his family members and relatives involving murders, extortions, forcible capture of properties and countless other various crimes apart from alleged connections with Mumbai’s underworld don Abu Salem, Pakistan’s secret agency ISI and even few terror outfits therein and also in Nepal, he (Atiq) had so many aggrieved enemies waiting for an appropriate chance to settle their score. Evidently, the political angle in this brutal murder can’t be ruled out. Again the conspicuous absence of Atiq’s wife in the list rites (supurdekhak) of her son Asad and also that of her husband obviously raises pertinent questions.
As brought out after his interrogation by the police that he had close connections and proximities with some of the prominent political leaders, real estate players and few other business magnates besides other mighty and high ups for whom he used to render his service in their elections or elimination of rivals or evacuation of vast land areas mostly covered up by slum dwellers etc.. This was reported in media that his son Asad had received a huge sum from a real estate developer to distribute among all criminals involved into the killing of Umesh Pal.
Although police encounter is no remedy at all, but sometimes it become necessary when a criminal keeps on evading the law and order machinery after committing a heinous crime like murder and opens fire over them when they ask the criminal to surrender. Indeed men in khaki are also human beings and they just don’t run after killing the criminals. We all know that many policemen have already given their supreme sacrifice in such police encounters as really did two police constables in Umesh Pal’s shootout in their bid to save Mr Pal.
It’s an typical irony in India that leaders like Owesiand Alvi and almost the muslim community deeply mourn the tit for tat killing of hardened mafia don like Atiq and his brother but forget the barbarous killing of so many innocent people killed by Atiq and his criminal gang during his four decades long reign of terror.
As evident, when human law fails for the time being,the Destiny assumes its role.Indeed, Atiq’s many decades long criminal chapters had to come to close a day and that arrived on the late evening of 15th April 2023 in Prayagarj around the area where his dictate had its unfailing decree during the past many years or decades.Obviously the Destiny is above all.
(The author is Political Scenario, MDPG College,
Distt. Pratapgarh. UP).
