The Uttar Pradesh government informed the Supreme Court on July 2 that it is investigating the “security lapses” which allowed three armed men to merge with journalists to dodge a police cordon and shoot dead gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother in full view of TV cameras on April 15.
The State said that “prima facie” reports from the senior police officers concerned has revealed that four policemen and the Station House Officer (SHO) of Shahganj police station, under whose jurisdiction the killings happened, have been placed under suspension pending initiation of disciplinary proceedings.
Extended deadline
The State said that it had taken immediate steps to investigate the murder, including the constitution of a three-member inquiry commission which was later upgraded to a five-member panel under the chairmanship of the Allahabad High Court’s former Chief Justice D.B. Bhonsle. However, the Commission is yet to complete its assigned task, the State said. It has been granted an extension till September 24.
The Commission, the government said, had recorded the statements of 38 witnesses in May and June. It has another 45 witnesses to examine, apart from hearing advocates for the stakeholders, and suggestions from officials and the public.
Moreover, the State said that a Special Investigation Team had been formed under the chairmanship of the Additional Director General of Police. There was also a magisterial enquiry underway.
‘Impartial’ investigation
The government assured the court that, with all these steps, the investigation into the killings was “scientific, impartial and thorough”.
A separate inquiry commission was also formed — on the day that Atiq Ahmed died — to look into the deaths of his son, Mohd Asad Khan and his associate Mohd Ghulam, who died in police retaliatory firing on April 13, according to the State. The pair had been given first aid and were taken to the hospital, where their families were informed. Highly sophisticated Glock pistols were found on them, the State said.
Police reforms
The State said that many police reforms had been introduced on the basis of a report submitted by the Justice B.S. Chauhan Commission, including the separation of the law and order and investigation wings of the Uttar Pradesh police. Over 10,800 posts have been created in the various cadres of the police. There are now investigation units in every police station, it said.
Interestingly, the State’s affidavit lists the issuance of “handcuffing instructions to prevent easy escape of hardened criminals” as part of the improvements.
Encounter deaths ‘pattern’
The affidavit was filed in response to an April 28 order from the Supreme Court to file a comprehensive response detailing the steps taken by the U.P. government to inquire into the killings. The court had also asked the State to detail the follow-up measures taken on the basis of the Justice Chauhan Commission’s report, which had looked into the death of gangster Vikas Dubey in an encounter with U.P. police in 2020.
Petitioner-advocate Vishal Tiwari had alleged an “emerging pattern” in these deaths and sought an inquiry into them. His petition alleges that the U.P. police have gunned down 183 alleged criminals in ‘encounters’ in the six years of the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led government, including Asad and his accomplice.
