Atiq Ahmed to brother to Mukhtar Ansari: In 7 years, 10 gangsters died in UP police custody or jail

On July 9, 2018, gangster Munna Bajrangi was shot dead inside Baghpat jail, allegedly by another jailed gangster and murder convict Sunil Rathi, hours before he (Bajrangi) was to be produced in court. A Jaunpur native, Munna Bajrangi was shifted to Baghpat jail from Jhansi jail hours before the murder took place. This happened a week after Bajrangi’s wife Seema Singh alleged that her husband’s life was in danger.

It is alleged Rathi shot him after an altercation in a high security barrack. Rathi allegedly opened fire him using a pistol, which was said to have been recovered from a water tank, along with magazines and live cartridges. Forensic Report shows alleged recovered weapon is not the one by which Munna Bajrangi was shot. Bajrangi, who had 24 cases against him, had contested 2012 Assembly election from Mariyahu seat in Jaunpur on Apna Dal ticket and lost. He is considered to have been a close aide of Mukhtar Ansari. The CBI is investigating the murder case of Munna Bajrangi on the basis of directives from the Allahabad High Court.

Three gangsters Mukeem Kala, Mirajudeen alias Miraj and Anshu Dixit were shot dead inside the Chitrakoot jail on April 14, 2021. It was alleged that Mukeem and Miraj were shot dead by Dixit, who subsequently held five other prisoners hostage at gunpoint inside the high-security barracks of Chitrakoot. The situation ended when police intervened, resulting in Anshu Dixit being fatally shot. All three had a long criminal history.

Kala was a criminal with 61 cases and was at the centre of allegations levelled by the BJP in 2016 of a mass exodus from Kairana town in Shamli district because of threats from his gang. Dixit was accused in a double murder case.

Former MP Atiq Ahmed and his brother Khalid Azim, alias Ashraf, were allegedly shot dead by three assailants outside the gate of the government hospital in Prayagraj. This incident occurred on live television while they were being escorted by the police for a medical examination on April 15 last year. The three accused Luvlesh Tiwari, Shani Singh alias Puraney and Arun Kumar Maurya were arrested from the spot and during questioning claimed to have killed Atiq and Ashraf to “gain fame”. Atiq had over 100 cases and Ashraf had 52 cases against him.

Atiq and Ashraf were in police remand in the murder case of Umesh Pal, a witness in the killing of BSP MLA Raju Pal and his two police gunners that took place at Dhoomanganj area of Prayagraj on February 24. Atiq and Ashraf were prime accused in the murder of MLA Pal which took place in Prayagraj in 2005.

On June 7 last year, gangster and murder convict Sanjeev Maheshwari was shot dead allegedly by 25-year-old Vijay Yadav when he (Sanjeev) to Lucknow court from the district jail for a court hearing. As per police, the Shamli native has 24 cases against him, inlcuding murder of BJP MLA Krishna Nand Rai in Ghazipur in 2005.

In June last year, gangster Khan Mubarak, a close aide of underworld don Chhota Rajan, died at Hardoi district hospital within an hour of being shifted from the district jail for treatment. Mubarak, who was facing 44 cases of murder, armed robbery and dacoity.

In November, 2022, 31-year-old gangster Muneer Mehtab died during treatment at a hospital in Varanasi, where he was shifted from Sonbhadra jail after his health deteriorated. A Bijnor court sentenced him to death for the murder of a NIA officer.