Atiq Ahmed's sister moves SC, seeks probe by retired judge

Sister of the gangsterpolitician Atiq Ahmed and Ashraf Ahmed who were shot dead while in police custody in Uttar Pradesh on April 15 has moved the Supreme Court seeking a comprehensive probe headed by a retired judge or by an independent agency into the alleged extrajudicial killings carried out by the government news agency ANI reportedThe plea filed by Aisha Noori also seeks an investigation into the encounter killing of her nephew and Atiq Ahmeds sonShe has sought a comprehensive inquiry by an independent agency into the campaign of encounter killings arrests and harassment targeting her family being carried out by the government of Uttar PradeshThe plea stated that an independent probe into the custodial and extrajudicial killings was necessary to catch highlevel state agents who have planned and orchestrated the campaign to kill her family membersIn the plea she apprised the court about the incident and called it statesponsored killings It sought a comprehensive inquiry by a committee headed by a retired judge of the top court or in the alternative by an independent agency into a campaign of extrajudicial killings carried out by the respondentsThe respondents are responsible for the deaths of the petitioners brothers the late Khalid Azim alias Ashraf and the late Atiq Ahmad as well as other members of the Petitioners family all of which occurred just a few days apart from each other she said in the pleaThe plea also said that the respondentspolice authorities are enjoying the full support of the UP government which appears to have granted them complete impunity to kill arraign arrest and harass members of the petitioners family as part of a vendettaThe petitioner highlighted the fact that the deaths of the petitioners family members and other persons are connected parts of a vicious arbitrary and unlawful campaign by the Government of Uttar Pradesh In the absence of such a comprehensive and independent inquiry the rights of the Petitioner and her family members under Article 21 of the Constitution would stand violated because Article 21 of the Constitution casts a positive procedural obligation on State authorities to effectively investigate the deaths of the petitioners family membersThe petitioner sought to issue direction causing a comprehensive inquiry by an independent agency into the campaign of encounter killings arrests and harassment targeting the petitioners family being carried out by the Government of Uttar Pradesh and to direct the Respondents to comply with the directions issued by the top court while investigating into the custodial and extrajudicial deaths of Petitioners family members and their associatesThe petitioners also sought to comply with the judgment of the top court and to register FIRs for the offences under Sections 302 201 120B and 193 of the Indian Penal Code against police officers who conducted the alleged encounters leading to the deaths of the petitioners family members and their associates