A former shooter linked to the gang of the late criminal-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari was gunned down in Uttar Pradesh’s Barabanki district on Thursday. Identified as Shoaib alias Bobby, he was allegedly part of Ansari’s criminal network and was named in the 1999 murder case of Lucknow jailer R.K. Tiwari. The attack occurred on the Barabanki–Lucknow route in the Asaini area, where assailants opened fire on his vehicle. Police said about 15 rounds were fired over roughly ten minutes, with witnesses reporting the gunfire echoed through the area, sparking panic among residents.
Multiple Attackers Suspected
Officials believe several shooters may have been involved due to the intensity of the assault. Shoaib was known as a shooter for the Ansari gang. Mukhtar Ansari, who died of cardiac arrest in 2024 while in custody, had faced over 65 criminal cases ranging from murder to extortion. Despite his criminal record, he served multiple terms as an MLA on tickets from different political parties.
