India’s gangster politics

Opposition politicians have noted that the incident is a death in custody, if not an outright extrajudicial killing

The overlap between organised crime and the Indian political system was on clear display over the weekend, as a former parliamentarian and convicted kidnapper was shot dead in Uttar Pradesh (UP). Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were also facing murder and assault charges among 100-plus cases against them, and were speaking to a crowd of reporters at a hospital just before a court-ordered medical checkup when they were allegedly shot some 20 times by three men posing as journalists.

The sectarian nature of the attack has also caused concern — the alleged killers shouted Hindu religious slogans that are commonly used by Hindutva terrorists — but police and media investigations suggest this may be a coincidence because the three main suspects are all mid or low-level gangsters. However, anything the police say will be taken with some suspicion. Despite being in prison, Atiq was still politically influential enough to be a thorn in the side of the BJP, which rules the state, and state machinery had been turning up the heat on his family. His wife was already on the run, and one of his sons —a suspect in another murder case — was killed in a police encounter last week.

Whether or not the cases against the Ahmeds are genuine or trumped-up, it is clear from the attack that there was more to the incident than gang violence — namely, police incompetence or complicity. Opposition politicians have noted that the incident is a death in custody, even if not an outright extrajudicial killing. UP has seen over 9,000 police shootings and 180 people killed in police encounters in the last six years. Most of these incidents have all the hallmarks of extrajudicial killings, including policemen getting through the incidents without ruffling their shirts.

In line with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s violent rhetoric against minorities, Muslims and Dalits make up a disproportionate number of the victims. And much like those past killings, Adityanath will face no repercussions for supporting extrajudicial killings.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 18^th, 2023.

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