Another plea filed in SC seeking CBI inquiry into Atiq Ahmed's killing

NEW DELHI: A letter petition has been moved in the Supreme Court seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the killing of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf in the presence of Uttar Pradesh Police.

The letter petition has been moved by retired IPS officer Amitabh Thakur who has sought the Supreme Court to issue direction to the concerned respondents to take cognizance of the petitioner's representation dated April 16 and accordingly direct the State of Uttar Pradesh to transfer FIR against the accused Lovelesh Tiwari, Sunny Singh, and Arun Maurya in the murder of Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf on the night of April 15, to CBI.

Atiq Ahmed and Ashraf Ahmed were shot dead while they were taken to a hospital by UP Police for medical examination in Prayagraj on Saturday night.

The petitioner apprised the apex court that time is of immense value in the given case, as there can be a possibility of the three alleged accused getting killed in judicial custody and the entire truth getting buried forever.

"Thus, there is an immediate need to act in the given case, as time is of immense value and the matter needs immediate and urgent attention," the petitioner said.

"That despite these repeated pleas, nothing has been done by the State of UP. For all these reasons, in such circumstances, having no any officious and effective alternative remedy in these circumstances, considering the importance of the matter, this writ petition is being filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India," the petitioner said.

Petitioner Amitabh Thakur raised questions that how could such an incident take place in such alleged high security.

"Why did the security seem to be slackened at the given point of time? Why were the media persons allowed to interact with men in police custody?" the plea stated.

Why police remained almost complacent all through the process, he asked. He said that everything that seems to be related to Atiq Ahmed's murder seems "extremely sketchy, fishy, suspicious."

It is also quite obvious that there can be a great possibility of the entire murder scheme being a state-sponsored exercise, where the high and mighty might be involved, for all kinds of nefarious purposes, the plea said. The plea demanded a CBI investigation into the case under direct monitoring of the top court or the High Court.