NEW DELHI: A day after sensational killing of gangster Sanjeev Maheshwari alias Jeeva, his wife Payal on Thursday moved the Supreme Court for protection from arrest in a case to enable her to participate in last rites of her husband.
Jeeva was shot dead within Lucknow court premises by unknown assailants in a sensational shootout. Two police constables accompanying him also sustained injuries while one young girl also got seriously hurt in the incident. One of the shooters Vijay Yadav was apprehended from the spot.
The slain gangster was a close aide of gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari.
In a plea, Payal, who also faced a gangster chart, sought one day protection from the top court to attend funeral of her husband.
Her counsel mentioned the matter before a vacation bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Rajesh Bindal for interim relief.
The bench put her plea for consideration on Friday.
The court also asked the petitioner's counsel to file an affidavit bringing on record the factum of death of her husband.
"We can't go by newspaper and TV reports," the bench said.
The counsel said she should be granted protection for today itself, as she had to console their children --three sons and a daughter-- and make all the arrangement since there was no one else in the family.
The Uttar Pradesh government led by Additional Advocate General Garima Prasad said the state government would have no objection if she is permitted to attend the cremation and other last rites.
Another Additional Advocate General Ardhendumauli Kumar Prasad submitted that the petitioner first should file an application along with affidavit. He also said he had got instructions from the highest authorities, and cremation of the deceased is unlikely to take place on Thursday.
Payal had filed a special leave petition against the Allahabad High Court's order of May 30 which had dismissed her plea to quash the gangster case against her, which is pending.
Payal had unsuccessfully contested Assembly election in 2017 on RLD ticket from Muzaffarnagar.
