Slain gangster’s family to meet Chief Minister UP CM Yogi Adityanath, demand CBI probe

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. PTI Photo by Nand Kumar

The family of slain gangster Shauqat Pasha, which had accused SP MLA and former Cabinet minister Mehboob Ali of hatching a conspiracy to murder him in November last year, has decided to meet CM Yogi Adityanath seeking a CBI probe into the case. The decision was taken after they discovered that the police’s closure report in the 2016 case said the accused “could not be identified”, Pasha’s family said. They further claimed that they came to know just two days ago that investigation of the case had been transferred from Moradabad to the crime branch in Bareilly in March, and that the closure report was filed in May.

Pasha — who had around 60 criminal cases lodged against him — had contested 2012 Assembly elections from Amroha seat, and lost to Ali. On November 26 last year, he was shot dead at a petrol pump in Mainather police station area in Moradabad. Investigating officer (IO) in the case, Crime Branch (Bareilly) Inspector Subhash Tyagi told The Indian Express, “Two youths had an altercation with the employees of a petrol pump in Mainather area. The youths, who were assaulted, called Pasha and others to the spot. Both sides had a heated argument, and someone opened fire. The bullets hit Pasha, who died on the spot.”

He further said, “An application from victim Shauqat Pasha’s family alleging involvement of former minister Mehboob Ali was attached with the documents related to the investigation received from Moradabad police. But the records sent by Moradabad counterpart have no mention about an investigation into the role of Mehboob Ali. I have also not done any probe into the allegation of Ali’s involvement.”

The investigation was transferred from Moradabad to Bareilly crime branch on the direction of a senior police official, said sources. “In May, I filed a closure report in the court as the assailant who shot Shaqat could not be identified,” Tyagi said. An FIR lodged stated that Irshad Ali, owner of the petrol pump where the incident took place and a close relative of Mehboob Ali, claimed that unidentified persons had shot Pasha.

Pasha’s younger brother Mugees told The Indian Express that they are not satifisfied with the investigation as the police did not investigate the role of Mehboob Ali. “We were kept in the dark about the progress of the investigation. The case was transferred to Bareilly crime branch following intervention of Mehboob Ali and police gave him a clean chit. Mehboob Ali got my brother killed because he feared that Shauqat would again contest against him in 2017 polls and could give him a tough fight,” alleged Mugees. “We had submitted an application to the police requesting them to probe Mehboob Ali’s involvement. I am writing a letter to CM, DGP and chief secretary requesting for a CBI probe. After obtaining closure report from the court, I will be meeting the CM,” Mugees further said.

Mehboob Ali said, “Pasha’s family is falsely dragging my name into the case because the murder occurred at a petrol pump owned by my relative. I have nothing to do with the murder. He had never been threat to me in the elections.”