SC to hear on April 28 plea seeking independent probe into killing of Atiq Ahmad

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear on April 28 a plea seeking an independent probe into the killing of gangsterturnedpolitician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf in Uttar Pradeshs PrayagrajAtiq Ahmad 60 and Ashraf were shot dead at pointblank range by three men posing as journalists in the middle of a media interaction on April 15 night while police personnel were escorting them to a medical college in Prayagraj for a checkupThe plea filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari has also sought an inquiry into the 183 encounters that have taken place in Uttar Pradesh since 2017Tiwari mentioned the matter for urgent listing on Monday before a bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S NarasimhaHe told the bench that his plea was slated to come up for hearing on Monday but it has not been listedAlso Read Atiq Ahmad brother killing Five cops suspended for negligenceSince five judges are not available some cases in which dates were given have not been listed We will try to list this on Friday April 28 the CJI said adding some apex court judges are down with COVID19 while some others are indisposed due to other reasonsThe Uttar Pradesh Police had recently said that it has gunned down 183 alleged criminals in encounters in the six years of the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanathled government and this included Ahmads son Asad and his accompliceThe plea filed in the apex court has sought the setting up of an independent expert committee to probe the killing of Atiq and AshrafIssue guidelinesdirections 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 saidReferring to Atiqs killing the plea said such actions by police are a severe threat to democracy and rule of law and lead to a police stateIn 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 submittedIt said extrajudicial killings or fake police encounters have no place in the lawWhen 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 statedThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever