Police not at fault in Atiq Ahmed killing: Uttar Pradesh government to Supreme Court

The Uttar Pradesh government told the Supreme Court on Friday that the police were not at fault in the killing of gangster turned politician Atiq Ahmed, who was gunned down along with his brother by unknown assailants in April outside a hospital and while in police custody. [Vishal Tiwari vs Union of India and ors].The government also said that it has investigated seven allegedly fake encounter killings, including Ahmed's, and concluded that there was no fault on the part of the Uttar Pradesh police. The seven killings in focus include those of Ahmed, his son (who was killed in an encounter two days before Ahmed was killed), Ahmed's brother, as well as cases related to the death of gangster Vikas Dubey who was killed in July 2020. .The government also reiterated that it has left no stone unturned in the probe into the killing of Atiq Ahmed and added that the sweeping allegations made against its police are false.."Each of the 7 incidents highlighted by the Petitioner in his pleadings, have been thoroughly investigated by the State ... and where the investigations are complete, no fault has been found on the part of the police ... the Petitioner is simply trying to reagitate settled issues in an abuse of process of court and may be put to terms," the government submitted in an affidavit dated September 29..The affidavit was filed by the State government through advocate Ruchira Goel in response to two petitions that the Supreme Court is hearing in connection with Atiq Ahmed's killing outside a Prayagraj hospital..In Atiq Ahmed's case, the government informed that the criminal trial is underway and at the stage of preliminary hearings on the framing of the charge. The next hearing is scheduled on October 3 (Monday), the Court was told. It was also submitted that the five-member commission looking into Atiq Ahmed killing, under the chairmanship of retired Justice Dilip Babasaheb Bhonsle, has had 23 sittings.The commission has also invited suggestions from the public, the media, government and other organisations to prevent such incidents in future, the government added. On the larger issue of encounter incidents, the affidavit added,"In all the police encounter incidents that have taken place since 2017, details related to the killed criminals and the results of the investigation/enquiry are collected and scrutinized every month at the police Headquarters level.".The topic of encounter killings drew renewed focus earlier this year when Atiq Ahmed and his brother were shot by unknown assailants outside a hospital. Ahmed was a Member of Parliament (MP) between 2004-2009. He was a Member of the Legislative Assembly for 15 years prior to that. Notably, he was in policy custody when he was gunned down, leading to questions of whether there was a security lapse when the murder took place. .Atiq Ahmed killing: No stone left unturned in probe, Uttar Pradesh government tells Supreme Court .The Supreme Court is seized of two petitions filed in the wake of Ahmed's murder. One of them filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari has prayed for a probe by a judicial committee headed by a retired judge of the apex court into the murder. This petition has also called for such a committee to probe 183 'encounters' that have occurred in Uttar Pradesh since 2017.Further, Tiwari has urged the Court to direct the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take over the probe into the allegedly fake encounter killing of gangster Vikas Dubey. The other plea was filed by Ahmed's sister alleging that the Uttar Pradesh police have been killing accused persons in such encounters with impunity.