Man who took on Raja Bhaiyya is killed

Shukla had hit the headlines in 2003 when he filed a PIL in the apex court requesting that proceedings under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) against Raja Bhaiyya—currently Civil Supplies Minister in the Mulayam government—should not be withdrawn. POTA proceedings were initiated against Raja Bhaiyya by the then UP CM Mayawati and later withdrawn by the Mulayam administration.

Police sources said that after he filed the PIL, Shukla was provided with an armed security guard by the Mayawati — administration the security man was withdrawn ahead of the recent Panchayat polls in the state.

The sources said that Shukla was close to Congress Legislature Party leader Pramod Tiwari, who alleged that the killing was a ‘‘political murder’’.

‘‘He (Shukla) has been killed because he dared to disobey the mafia of Pratapgarh… Shukla was apprehending death since February after the licence of his firearms was cancelled at the instigation of the Pratapgarh mafia,’’ said Tiwari.

UPCC president Salman Khurshid, who released a white paper on the rule of mafia in the state, blamed some Samajwadi Party leaders for masterminding Shukla’s murder. Despite repeated attempts, Raja Bhaiyya was not available for comment.

State DGP Yashpal Singh said that Shukla had a criminal record.

He said Shukla’s firearms licence had been cancelled because it had been procured by submitting a false name and address.

Holagarh police station chief, Amar Bahadur Singh, under whose jurisdiction Shukla was shot, told The Indian Express: ‘‘He was having tea at a stall near the PCO around 12.30 pm when six youths on three motorcycles fired several bullets at him and sped away.’’