Supreme Court has reprimanded the Uttar Pradesh government over the killing of mafia Ateeq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf in Prayagraj on April 15 in police custody. Apart from this, the court said that there appears to be someone's connivance in this incident.

Apart from this, the Supreme Court has also sought a report from the UP government on 183 police encounters since 2017. According to police, 183 people have been killed in police encounters since the Yogi Adityanath government assumed power in March 2017.

On Friday, a bench of Justice S Ravindra Bhatt and Justice Arvind Kumar directed the Uttar Pradesh government to file an affidavit within six weeks. It sought details of police encounters, the status of the investigation, the charge sheet filed, and trial status.

The Court said, "5 to 10 people were protecting Ateek. How can someone come and shoot? How does this happen? There is someone's connivance in this".

Supreme Court issued notice to the UP government on the petition of Aisha Noori, sister of gangster Atiq Ahmed and also issued a notice seeking directions for a comprehensive investigation into the killing of his brothers.

However, the court rejected the request of PIL petitioner Vishal Tiwari to set up an independent judicial inquiry commission to probe police encounters and the role of policemen in them. The court noted that the state government has already constituted such a commission.
The Supreme Court had earlier agreed to hear petitions, including one filed by Aisha Noori, seeking formation of a commission of inquiry headed by a retired Supreme Court judge into the murder of her brothers.

On April 15, 60-year-old Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were shot at close range by three men posing as journalists while interacting with the media. The incident took place when the policemen were taking him to the medical college for examination.

Case Details:-
W.P. (Crl) No. 177/2023
Vishal Tiwari Vs. Union of India

W.P. (Crl) No. 280 
Aisha Noori Vs. Union of India