India: Gangster Sanjiv Maheshwari shot dead outside UP court, attacker arrested

In another incident raising questions on the law and order situation in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, a gangster Sanjiv Maheshwari Jiva was shot down dead outside a courtroom while two cops sustained injuries, as per media reports.

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As per media reports, the shooter was dressed under the guise of a lawyer when he opened fire on the gangster. Later, the attacker was nabbed by Lucknow Police and has been identified as Vijay Yadav.

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Jiva is a close aide of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in the 1991 Awadhesh Rai murder case on Monday. Rai is theelder brother of the leader of the Indian opposition Congress Ajay Rai. He was shot dead outside his house at Maldiya in Varanasi city when he was aged 30.

Further details into the incident are awaited. The incident took place when Jiva was brought to the Lucknow court in view of a criminal case filed against him.

Media reports suggest that the killed gangster was booked in many other criminal cases. Two cops present at the shooting scene also sustained injuries and were taken to Civil Hospital in UP.

Rahul Raj, DCP, Lucknow in a statement to ANI news agency said, "Sanjiv Maheshwari Jiva was shot today and has died. Our two constables also sustained injuries & they are out of danger and are undergoing treatment. I've been told that the accused has been arrested."

According to Joint Commissioner of Police Upendra Kumar Agarwal, a child also sustained injuries and was moved to a trauma centre.

"One prisoner who was brought for the hearing at the Court has been shot and a police officer was also shot. They have been sent to hospital," Nilabja Choudhary, Joint Commissioner of Police, Lucknow said pertaining to the gunfire incident at Lucknow civil court.

Political opponents trade barbs with ruling BJP

The chief of Samajwadi Party (SP) Akhilesh Yadav also spoke up targeting the ruling government in India's largest populated area. He took a jibe at the current law and order situation in the state raising questions on the recent firing incident in Lucknow civil court.

"Is it a democracy? The question is not who is being killed but the question is that one is being killed where security is the highest," he said.

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Earlier, on the night of 15 April, a jailed gangster Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were shot dead when the duo were escorted to a hospital. Both were killed at point-blank range by two people who were reportedly posing as media personnel.

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