Now there will be an independent investigation into the murder of Atiq Ahmed and Sang Bhai Ashraf!

Prayagraj | The Supreme Court will hear on July 3 a plea seeking an independent probe into the murder of criminal gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf. Three criminals posing as journalists shot dead Atiq and his brother Ashraf in police custody in Prayagraj in April. According to the July 3 cause list uploaded on the apex court’s website, a bench of Justice SR Bhatt and Justice Arvind Kumar will hear the petition filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari.

The petitioner has also requested the court to order an inquiry into 183 police encounters in Uttar Pradesh since 2017. The top court, while hearing the matter on April 28, had questioned the state government as to why Atiq Ahmed and former MLA Ashraf were produced before the media while being taken to hospital for medical examination in police custody. The three assailants fired at Ateeq and his brother at close range, killing both of them instantly.

The court had also asked the Uttar Pradesh government that how did the killers get the information about taking both of them to the hospital? The counsel appearing for the Uttar Pradesh government told the top court that the state government has constituted a three-member inquiry commission to probe the incident which was shown live on national television. The lawyer had said that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the state police is also probing the matter.

The top court had directed the state government to submit a status report on the incident and its aftermath. Petitioner Tiwari, in his petition, has sought constitution of an independent expert committee to probe the murder of Atiq Ahmed and Ashraf. The petitioner has said, “Directions should be issued to protect the rule of law by setting up an independent expert committee headed by a former Supreme Court judge to investigate the 183 encounters since 2017, as well as to investigate the death of Atiq and Ashraf.” In addition to Tiwari’s petition, Ayesha Noori, sister of Ateeq and Ashraf, has also filed a separate petition in the top court seeking ‘custodial’ and ‘extrajudicial deaths’ of the two brothers. A request has been made to set up an inquiry commission headed by a retired judge of an apex court to investigate.