Lucknow Lawyer's Murder Sparks Police Manhunt and Lawyer Protests
Three days after motorcycle-borne assailants gunned down history-sheeter Shoaib Kidwai alias Bobby (52) near the Aseni turn on the Lucknow–Ayodhya highway, police on Monday intensified their investigation by sending teams to adjoining districts of Azamgarh and Sultanpur. Senior officials confirmed that the shooters were spotted on CCTV taking a route towards these districts after the sensational killing.
Police Probe All Angles in High-Profile Case
Barabanki superintendent of police Arpit Vijayvargiya stated that police are probing all angles in the murder case. "We have questioned over two dozen men in connection with the murder," he said, adding that Kidwai's personal guard and driver were among those interrogated. The victim was an alleged sharpshooter linked to mafia-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, adding a layer of complexity to the investigation.
In response to the lawyers' ultimatum and announced protest, the district court complex and surrounding areas were converted into a virtual police fortress from early Monday. A heavy deployment of local police and Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) personnel was made along key roads leading to the court and the superintendent of police's office.
Lawyers Stage Massive Protest, Demand Capital Punishment
After holding an emergency meeting on Monday afternoon, lawyers poured onto the streets, raising slogans against the police administration and demanding capital punishment for the killers. Chants of "Hang the murderers" and "Police administration down, down" echoed through the court premises as advocates marched towards the SP's office.
The demonstrators briefly surrounded the office, leading to heated exchanges between protesting lawyers and senior police officials. The situation was brought under control after intervention by Additional SP (North) Vikas Chandra Tripathi, who facilitated dialogue between the Bar Association and the district police chief.
Bar Association Seeks Clear Timeline for Arrests
Bar Association president Narendra Singh Verma, accompanied by other office-bearers, met the SP in his office. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Verma emphasized that the delegation sought a clear timeline for the arrest of the accused. "Shoaib was a regular practising lawyer for the past 10 years. In view of the ultimatum given by the Bar, we met the SP after consulting senior members," he said.
The SP informed the delegation that, based on clues gathered so far, police teams have been dispatched to Azamgarh, Lucknow, and Sultanpur to track down the perpetrators. This coordinated effort underscores the high priority given to solving this case amidst mounting public and professional pressure.
