In a chilling echo of the state's bloody history of gang warfare, a notorious shooter linked to the late mafia don and politician Mukhtar Ansari was brutally murdered in a bustling area of Uttar Pradesh’s Barabanki district on Friday. The brazen attack has sent shockwaves through the region and reignited fears about the enduring reach of Ansari’s criminal empire, even eight months after his death.
The Shocking Ambush
The victim, identified as Shoaib alias Bobby, was ambushed by a pair of bike-riding assailants near Asaini Mor on the busy Lucknow-Ayodhya Highway around midday on February 13. According to police, Shoaib was returning from Lucknow in his blue Baleno car when the attackers closed in. In a matter of seconds, they unleashed a hail of gunfire, pumping approximately ten bullets into the vehicle from close range.
Shoaib was found dead in the driver’s seat, his body riddled with bullets. The attack, which took place in a crowded locality, triggered panic among local shopkeepers and commuters as the killers fled the scene immediately after the execution.
Victim's Criminal Background
Shoaib, a resident of the Kotwali area in Barabanki, was a known history-sheeter with a violent past. Police sources confirmed he had at least half a dozen criminal cases registered against him. Among the most serious was his alleged involvement in the high-profile murder case of Lucknow jailer RK Tiwari.
Despite recently practicing law in Barabanki, Shoaib was widely recognized in police records as a trusted confidant and a key sharpshooter for the Mukhtar Ansari gang. His proximity to the mafia don made him a significant figure in the state's underworld. Speaking during a press briefing, Superintendent of Police Arpit Vijayvargiya confirmed Shoaib’s deep-rooted ties to the Ansari syndicate.
Police Response and Investigation
Following the incident, a heavy police force rushed to the spot. The area was cordoned off, and forensic teams were summoned to scour the scene for evidence, including shell casings and potential fingerprints. Shoaib’s body has been sent for postmortem examination.
Authorities have launched a massive manhunt for the fugitives. CCTV footage from cameras installed along the highway and nearby establishments is being meticulously reviewed. Checkpoints have been set up across the district to track down the killers. While investigations are in the preliminary stages, senior police officials suspect the murder is the result of old rivalries or an internal power struggle within the remnants of the Ansari gang.
Legacy of Mukhtar Ansari
The killing has brought the focus back to the legacy of Mukhtar Ansari, a multiple-time MLA and a feared strongman from the Purvanchal region. Ansari, who faced dozens of cases including murder, kidnapping, and extortion—most notably the 2005 killing of BJP MLA Krishna Nand Rai—had been in jail since 2005. He died of a heart attack in Banda Jail on March 28, 2024.
His death created a significant power vacuum within his sprawling criminal network. Law enforcement agencies had been bracing for turf wars as factions vied for control over territory and illegal enterprises. Shoaib’s methodical assassination in a public space serves as a stark indicator that the tensions within that empire remain volatile, threatening to spill back onto the streets of Uttar Pradesh.
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