'No urgency in matter', SC on slain gangster's wife seeking anticipatory bail in criminal case

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday declined to grant urgent hearing on a plea by wife of Sanjeev Maheshwari Jeeva, who was shot dead on Lucknow court premises, seeking anticipatory bail in a criminal case. Jeeva was an aide of gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari.

A vacation bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Rajesh Bindal was informed by the Uttar Pradesh government counsel that Jeeva's funeral had already taken place and there is no urgency in the matter. The UP Additional Advocate General Garima Prashad informed the court that Payal Maheshwari did not attend the funeral even though she was allowed.

The bench observed that the petition was mentioned Thursday on grounds that the funeral of the husband of the petitioner was to take place and the petitioner sought protection from any coercive action in attending the funeral.

The bench said, "We are apprised by the UP Additional Advocate General (AAG) that the funeral has already taken place and the petitioner did not attend it and the last rites were performed by her son."

The state government counsel contended before the court the petitioner is also a history-sheeter and, "We had already given permission to attend but she did not."

The bench noted that AAG has submitted that police had ensured that no coercive steps would have been taken against the petitioner if she had attended the funeral. "Therefore, we see no urgency to list the matter in the vacation," said the bench.

Payal Maheshwari had moved the court seeking interim protection from arrest in a Gangsters Act case and also bail to attend the last rites of her husband.

Jeeva, a dreaded shooter from Muzaffarnagar, was killed inside Lucknow court complex on Wednesday evening. Jeeva was a co-accused in BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai murder, in which Mukhtar Ansari is also an accused. He began as a compounder and then became a member of the underworld. He was a close associate of Munna Bajrangi, who was shot dead in 2018 in Baghpat jail.