Lucknow: A former sharpshooter allegedly associated with the gang of late gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari was shot dead in Uttar Pradesh’s Barabanki district on Thursday, police said.
The deceased, identified as Shoaib alias Bobby, was travelling from Barabanki to Lucknow when unidentified assailants opened fire on his vehicle in the Asaini area. According to police, around 15 rounds were fired at the car, killing him on the spot.
Linked To 1999 Jailer Murder Case
Police sources said Shoaib Bobby had earlier been identified as a shooter for the Ansari gang. He was also an accused in the 1999 murder of Lucknow jailer R.K. Tiwari, a case that had drawn significant attention at the time.
Authorities have launched an investigation to ascertain the motive behind the attack and to identify those involved. Senior police officials said teams have been formed to track down the attackers.
Mukhtar Ansari
Mukhtar Ansari, a controversial figure in Uttar Pradesh’s Purvanchal region, was both a powerful politician and a dreaded gangster. Elected five times as an MLA from Mau between 1996 and 2017, he faced more than 65 criminal cases, including multiple murder charges.
He was convicted in several cases, including receiving life imprisonment in connection with the 2005 killing of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai. Ansari had been lodged in jail since 2005 and died of cardiac arrest in Banda jail on March 28, 2024. His family had alleged poisoning, though the autopsy report ruled it a natural death.
With his demise, many believe an era of strong criminal-political influence in eastern Uttar Pradesh came to an end, though rivalries and related cases continue.
