Under the rule of the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh Government, the crime which was at the alarming level in the state improved majorly due the agenda of the government and stern action against the criminals. Gangsters like Munna Bajrangi to Mukhtar Ansari who made the lives of the localities miserable in the state started searching for the hideouts, fearing the police. Several gangsters requested the authorities to shift them to any other state jail apart from UP fearing death.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath commenced his first term as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in March 2017, announcing a robust agenda focused on addressing law and order issues in the state. One of his initial actions was the establishment of an anti-mafia task force, accompanied by stern political messaging such as “Leave UP or go to jail.” In September 2017, Yogi issued a warning that his government would demolish properties belonging to individuals involved in criminal activities, particularly those targeting women and vulnerable sections of society. Uttar Pradesh police had already initiated actions against criminals, resulting in several encounters with fatalities.
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While speaking in the house, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath thundered that “Iss House mein keh raha hoon. Iss mafia ko mitti me mila denge (I am saying it in this House, I will destroy this criminal).”
“Jitney mafias hain unko mitti me milane ka kaam karenge (I will destroy all the mafias),” Adityanath added.
Four gangsters including Munna Bajrangi, Mukhtar Ansari, Vikas Dubey, and Atiq Ahmed met the same fate which they feared while being in the custody of police.
Here are the details of the four gangsters:
Mukhtar Ansari – Jailed gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari passed away at the Banda Medical College in Uttar Pradesh after suffering a heart attack on Thursday. Sources revealed that Ansari, who was incarcerated in Banda jail, experienced a heart attack and collapsed in his barrack. He was subsequently admitted to a hospital in Banda. This incident marked the second time in two days that his health had deteriorated. Earlier on Tuesday, Ansari, aged 63, had been hospitalized for approximately 14 hours in Banda due to complaints of abdominal pain. Although he was discharged later, the jail administration returned him to prison. Allegations from his brother and Ghazipur MP Afzal Ansari surfaced, claiming that Ansari had been poisoned while in jail. Ansari, who had been elected as an MLA from the Mau constituency five times, twice as a candidate for the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), last participated in Assembly elections in 2017. He faced a total of 60 pending cases across Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, New Delhi, and other states. On March 13, he was sentenced to life imprisonment in a case dating back to 1990, involving the use of forged documents to obtain an arms license. This marked his eighth conviction and subsequent sentencing by a court in Uttar Pradesh within the past two years.
Munna Bajrangi – Munna Bajrangi, an Indian politician notorious for his involvement in contract killings and leading a gang in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, was linked to over 40 incidents including murder, attempted murder, and extortion during his two-decade-long criminal career. Despite being incarcerated in Tihar jail, he contested elections under the banners of Apna Dal and Peace Party of India in 2012, while trial proceedings were underway. Tragically, he was fatally shot at District Jail in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh, on July 9, 2018. His assailant, gangster Sunil Rathi, fired ten shots at him within the jail premises. His death occurred just a week after his wife, Seema Singh, expressed concerns in a press conference that he was at risk of being targeted.
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Vikas Dubey – Vikas Dubey, a notorious Indian criminal and former gangster-turned-politician from Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, gained infamy for his involvement in the Bikroo case in July 2020. Commonly known as “Vikas Pandit,” Dubey had accumulated over 60 criminal cases by 2020, including the murder of a state minister and the killing of eight policemen during an attempted arrest. Despite being declared an absconder by the Uttar Pradesh Police with a bounty on his head, Dubey was arrested on July 9, 2020, in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, only to be killed the following day in an encounter. Media reports suggested his political connections aided in acquittals for most of his crimes, despite multiple witnesses. Following his death, an inquiry led by retired Supreme Court judge B. S. Chauhan found no evidence of wrongdoing by the Uttar Pradesh Police in the encounter killings of Dubey and his associates.
Atiq Ahmed – Atiq Ahmed, a notorious Indian gangster and politician, served as a member of the Indian Parliament and the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly from the Samajwadi Party. With over 160 criminal cases against him, he even contested elections from jail. The Uttar Pradesh Police had seized properties worth ₹11,684 crore belonging to Ahmed and his family by March 2023. In 2019, he was convicted of kidnapping a witness in a murder case. On April 15, 2023, while being escorted for a court-mandated medical checkup in Prayagraj, Ahmed was assassinated by three gunmen in the presence of police. The attack, captured live on television, also resulted in the death of his brother Ashraf Ahmed. The perpetrators, posing as media personnel, surrendered after the murder, chanting “Jai Shri Ram.” They later confessed to the police their motive of gaining recognition by eliminating Ahmed’s gang. Despite heavy security, the Supreme Court noted complicity in the assassination.
