How Killers Learnt Atiq-Ashraf Were Being Taken To Hospital, Why Was Their Vehicle Not Taken Directly To Hospital, SC Asks UP Govt

New Delhi: In the Atiq and Ashraf murder case, the Supreme Court sought answers from the UP government on Friday. The court has sought a detailed report in the murder case. SC has asked the government to tell what happened that day and what has happened so far in the investigation? Apart from this, the court has also sought the report of the encounter of the accused in the Umesh Pal murder case that took place on February 24.

The top court, which was hearing a plea by advocate Vishal Tiwari seeking an independent probe into the killing of Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf, also asked the UP government how the killers got the information that they were being taken to hospital. Why was the vehicle carrying Atiq-Ashraf not taken directly to the hospital? 

The court asked why gangster-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf were paraded before media while being taken to hospital for a medical checkup in police custody in Prayagraj. The next hearing in the case will be after 3 weeks.

3-member probe panel has been formed: Govt advocate 

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, who appeared for the UP government, informed the bench that the state government is probing the incident and has constituted a three-member commission for this. A UP Police special investigation team is also probing the matter, he said.

Atiq-Ashraf were shot dead on April 15 at 10:35 pm at Colvin Hospital in Prayagraj. The shooters Lavlesh Tiwari, Sunny Singh and Arun Maurya surrendered immediately. So far 4 accused have been killed in the police encounter in the Umesh Pal murder case. These include Atiq's son Asad, Ghulam, Arbaaz, Usman Chaudhary.

Probe sought into 183 encounter killings

The plea also sought a probe into the 183 alleged criminals killed in police encounters in UP since 2017. UP Police recently said they have gunned down 183 alleged criminals in encounters in six years of the CM Yogi Adityanath-led government and this included Ahmad's son Asad and his accomplice.

The plea sought the setting up of an independent expert committee to probe the killing of Ahmad and Ashraf.

Referring to Ahmad's killing, the plea said "such actions by police are a severe threat to democracy and rule of law and lead to a police state".

"In a democratic society, the police cannot be allowed to become a mode of delivering final justice or to become a punishing authority. The power of punishment is only vested in the judiciary," the plea submitted.

It said extra-judicial killings or fake police encounters have no place in the law.

When the police turn "daredevils then the entire rule of law collapses and generates fear in the mind of people against the police which is very dangerous for democracy and this also results in more crimes," the plea stated.