NEW DELHI: Days after the sensational killing of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf in the presence of policemen in Allahabad, dreaded gangster Sanjeev Maheshwari alias ‘Jeeva’ was shot dead inside the Lucknow Civil Court premises on Wednesday.


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Jeeva, the dreaded sharp-shooter of the Mukhtar Ansari-led gang, was killed by a man posing as a lawyer. The accused was later overpowered by the locals and roughed up before being handed over to the police. This notorious gangster from western UP was facing several cases related to murder, fraud and criminal conspiracy. He was lodged in a jail in Lucknow.


Two persons, including a child, were also injured in the shooting. The broad daylight killing of the gangster has once again highlighted concerns regarding the safety of courts.  


 


Who Was Sanjeev Jeeva? 


According to Muzaffarnagar residents, Sanjeev Jeeva was an ordinary family man, who worked as a compounder at a local clinic in the city before his foray into the world of crime.  Jeeva, according to a retired IPS officer Akhilesh Mehrotr, was a man with a ‘criminal mind’. He had once kidnaped the owner of the clinic in which he worked. Jeeva went a step ahead and allegedly kidnapped the son of a Kolkata businessman and demanded a ransom of Rs 2 crore.


Links With Mukhtar Ansari, Munna Bajrangi Gangs


The slain dreaded gangster had close links with gangsters Munna Bajrangi and Mukhtar Ansari. According to the information, he had over three dozen criminal cases registered against him. After Munna Bajrangi was shot dead in 2018 in the Baghpat jail, Jeeva became a close aide of Mukhtar Ansari. 


Accused In Krishnanand Rai, Brahma Dutt Dwivedi Murders


Jeeva made headlines for his alleged role in the murder of BJP stalwart Brahm Dutt Dwivedi on February 10, 1997. His mafia boss, Mukhtar Ansari, is also a co-accused in this case. Jeeva was sentenced to life imprisonment in this case. He again grabbed eyeballs after his name cropped up in the murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai. He was arrested in connection with the case. However, Jeeva continued his criminal activities in prison.


Interestingly, Jeeva's wife, Payal, contested the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election on an RJD ticket but lost in the polls. In 2021, Payal had written a letter to the then Chief Justice of India saying that Jeeva's life was in danger. Jeeva's property worth Rs 4 crore in Muzaffarnagar was recently attached by the Muzaffarnagar district administration.


Section 144 Imposed In Kanpur


Section 144 has been imposed in Kanpur in the wake of gangster Sanjeev alias Jeeva's murder ahead of a hearing. "Section 144 has been implemented in Kanpur city whose objective is to maintain law and order," Kanpur Additional Commissioner of Police Anand Prakash Tiwari said.


Uttar Pradesh Special DG (law and order) Prashant Kumar issued an order directing all district superintendents of police to immediately increase security in all district courts after the firing incident.