Lucknow: Three days after motorcycle-borne assailants gunned down history-sheeter Shoaib Kidwai alias Bobby (52) — an alleged sharpshooter linked to mafia-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari — near the Aseni turn on the Lucknow–Ayodhya highway, police on Monday said that teams were sent to adjoining districts of Azamgarh and Sultanpur. Senior officials said that the teams were sent to the two districts because the shooters, after the sensational killing, were spotted taking a route to the districts. They were spotted on CCTV. Barabanki superintendent of police Arpit Vijayvargiya told TOI that police were probing all angles. “We also questioned over two dozen men in connection with the murder,” he said. Kidwai’s personal guard and driver were also questioned. In view of 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 PAC personnel was made along key roads leading to the court and the SP’s office. Lawyers Take to Streets 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. “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 president Narendra Singh Verma accompanied by other Bar Association office-bearers met the SP in his office. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Verma said 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 were sent to Azamgarh, Lucknow, and Sultanpur.
