Mukhtar Ansari's notorious shooter, Shoaib alias Bobby, was brutally murdered in Uttar Pradesh's Barabanki, with assailants firing around 10 bullets at him in a busy area. The incident has sent shockwaves through the region, reigniting fears of gang warfare linked to the late mafia don's network.
The shocking ambush
In a brazen daytime attack on February 13 (Friday), bike-riding assailants ambushed Shoaib near Asaini Mor on the Lucknow-Ayodhya Highway. Shoaib, driving a blue Baleno car, was returning from Lucknow when the attackers closed in and unleashed a barrage of gunfire from close range. He was found dead in the driver's seat, his body riddled with bullets, causing panic in the crowded locality as the killers fled the scene.
Victim's criminal background
Shoaib, a resident of Kotwali area in Barabanki, was a known history-sheeter with 5-6 cases against him, including the high-profile Lucknow jailer murder case involving RK Tiwari. Lately practicing law in Barabanki, he was widely regarded as a trusted confidant and sharpshooter in Mukhtar Ansari's gang. Police SP Arpit Vijayvargiya confirmed Shoaib's ties to the Ansari syndicate during a press briefing.
Police response and investigation
Officers rushed to the spot upon receiving reports, securing the area and calling in forensic teams to scour for evidence. Shoaib's body was sent for postmortem, while CCTV footage from nearby areas is being reviewed and checkpoints have been set up to nab the fugitives. Authorities suspect old rivalries or internal gang conflicts as motives, probing all angles amid heightened security.
Legacy of Mukhtar Ansari
Mukhtar Ansari, a multiple-time MLA and feared strongman from Purvanchal, faced charges of murder, kidnapping, and extortion, including the 2005 Krishna Nand Rai killing. Jailed since then, he died of a heart attack in Banda Jail on March 28, 2024, leaving a power vacuum that may have fueled this violence. Shoaib's killing underscores the enduring tensions in his criminal empire.
