Security in India’s courtrooms and court complexes were again exposed on Wednesday when gangster Sanjiv Maheshwari, also known as Sanjiv Jeeva, was shot dead by a man dressed as a lawyer right inside a Lucknow court.

Sanjeev Maheshwari had come to the SC/ST court for hearing in a murder case and was entering the courtroom when the shooter opened fire, injuring a young girl and a policeman.

Maheshwari, who led a criminal gang in Western UP, was said to be a close aide of gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari. He was accused in the murder case of BJP MLA Brahmadatt Dwivedi. Ansari is currently serving life imprisonment. The shooter was nabbed by lawyers in court and police and has been identified as Vijay Yadav.

Maheshwari himself was a dreaded shooter and was booked under several other criminal cases. He was also said to be a close aide of Munna Bajrangi, who was killed while serving time in Baghpat prison in 2018.  

The police constable injured in the attack sustained a bullet wound in his right leg and his colleagues helped him out of the court complex. He is undergoing treatment in the Lucknow Civil Hospital. Meanwhile, heavy police deployment has been made in the Lucknow court as well as the city after the shootout.

Commented on the law and order situation in UP, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said the question is not who is being killed but the question is that one is being killed in the presence of high security.

In his reply to a journalist’s question on the incident, UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said the police will not spare anyone who is involved in the killing.

Lucknow DM Surya Pal Gangwar told the media that Maheshwari was shot dead, a girl of 8-10 years has also been injured. He added the shooter has been caught and the investigation into the incident has begun.

In Delhi, gangster Jitender Gogi was killed in a shootout in a Rohini court in 2021. The inter-gang rivalry ended with the knifing murder of Tillu Tajpuriya inside Tihar Jail in May this year.

The security of local courts has been a matter of concern for judges with former Chief Justice of India Justice NV Ramana raising it with the government.

A three-member SIT (Special Investigation Team) including Mohit Agarwal ADG Technical, Joint CP Nilabja Chaudhary, Ayodhya IG Praveen Kumar has been constituted to investigate the incident: UP CM Yogi Adityanath.

Mukhtar Ansari who is currently serving 10 years jail term in a kidnapping and murder case has been convicted by the Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi Court in connection with the 1991 Awadhesh Rai murder case. Special Judge Avneesh Gautam convicted him today after a hearing in a case concluded on may 19. He has been sentenced to life imprisonment and also a fine of Rs 1 lakh has been imposed upon him. On August 3, 1991, Congress leader and brother of Former MLA Ajay Rai, Awadesh Rai was gun downed in a broad day light in front of Ajay Rai’s house in Varanasi. In this case Ajay Rai named Mukhtar Ansari, Bhim Singh, former MLA Abdul Kalim, Kamlesh Singh, and Rakesh in the FIR.

In june 2022, the original case diary went missing during the hearing of the case. Officials’ could not find the missing diary despite best effort from Varanasi to Prayagraj. Police had to register a case against Mukhtar Ansari for the same and accused him of destroying evidence through his influence.

Mukhtar Ansari is a dangerous gangster-turned-politician in the Uttar Pradesh; he has been an MLA for five consecutive terms from the Mau Sadar assembly seat. In 2022, Uttar Pradesh Assembly election his seat was won by his son Abbas Ansari from the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party since he did not fight the election.

Almost 60 criminal cases of land grabbing, murder and extortion are registered against him. His name was first come into notice when he murdered the local contractor Sachchidanand Rai in 1988 and he never stopped after his first murder.  

In Uttar Pradesh’s most sensational political murder history, he killed BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai with an AK-47 rifle in November 2005. It is believed that 400 bullet shells were reportedly recovered from the spot.  

A class 10 girl student died after falling off the terrace of her school building in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. While the school said the girl fell from the swing, the girl’s family accuses school officials of assault on their daughter.

The incident took place at 8:45 AM in the Sunbeam School, Ayodhya, of which the girl was a student.

The parents of the deceased girl said their daughter was called to school despite ongoing summer vacations.

At around 10:00 am on Friday, the parents received a call from the school administration informing them about their to have fallen from a swing and was severely injured.

The family then immediately rushed to the hospital but were informed by the doctors that their daughter had died during treatment.

The family doubted and informed the police about the incident.

The entire incident on the floor was caught on camera, the police during the investigation retrieved a CCTV footage that showed the girl falling on the floor.

Ayodhya SP Police on the matter said as the girl’s mother was out somewhere, once she comes back and once CCTV footages and other surveillance evidences are retrieved his team will conduct the investigation.

Deceased girl’s grandfather while speaking to media said at around 8:48 am, her daughter left for the school and at around 9:50 am, they received a call from the school authority.

The victim’s grandfather further informed that first they were told by the school management that the girl had fallen from the swing but later in the evening after watching the CCTV footage they got know to that she was thrown from from the terrace.

He further alleged that Brijesh Yadav, Abhishek Kanojia and another person killed her grand daughter. He again putting stress on Abhishek Kanojia’s name said he is responsible for the death.

School principal has distanced from giving any comments on the incident.