SC to hear plea seeking independent probe into Atiq Ahmed killing on April 24

The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear a plea seeking an independent investigation into the killing of Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj district. The court will hear the case on April 24.

Gangster-turned-politician Atiq and his brother Ashraf were shot dead on April 15 at point-blank range by three men posing as journalists. The incident occurred during a media interaction while police personnel were escorting the duo to a medical college in Prayagraj for a check-up on Saturday night.

The plea, filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari, also sought an inquiry into the 183 encounters that have taken place in Uttar Pradesh since 2017.

In a video released on Tuesday, petitioner Vishal Tiwari confirmed that the Supreme Court has agreed to hear the PIL on Monday, April 24.

The plea sought to constitute an independent expert committee under the chairmanship of a former Supreme Court judge.

Uttar Pradesh Police announced on Friday that they had killed 183 alleged criminals in encounters during the six years of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led government. This included Ahmad's son Asad, who was gunned down in a police encounter in Jhansi on April 13.

The plea sought the formation of an independent expert committee to investigate the killing of Atiq and Ashraf.

"Issue guidelines/directions to safeguard the rule of law by constituting an independent expert committee under the chairmanship of a former Supreme Court justice to inquire into the 183 encounters which had occurred since 2017 as stated by Uttar Pradesh Special Director General of Police (Law and Order) and also to inquire into the police custody murder of Atiq and Ashraf," it said.

The plea also stated that extrajudicial killings or fake police encounters have no place in the law.

"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," it added.

The petition claimed that such actions by the police pose a severe threat to democracy and the rule of law, leading to a police state.

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

The case has attracted significant media attention, with many expressing concern over the increasing number of extrajudicial killings and police encounters in Uttar Pradesh.