Daylight killing of a social activist sends shockwaves across Lucknow

By TCN Special Correspondent,

Lucknow: In a sensational shootout incident, two motorcycle borne youths bumped off Saifi (37), an employee of social welfare department, near City Station under Wazirganj police circle of Lucknow on Wednesday. He was also an active volunteer in Civil Defence. He is survived by wife and three children.


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As per reports, Saifi, a resident of Choudhary Garaiyya in Wazirganj received a call on his mobile at around 11 am. Thereafter he left his house with the message for having tea with some of his acquaintances. He reached the local Shafeeq Tea Stall at around 11:15 am and was having tea with some persons. Soon two motorcycle borne youths arrived on a Discover motorcycle and rained a fusillade of gunshots. Saifi was hit in chest and abdomen and collapsed on the road. The youths later fled from the scene on their motorcycle. The incident shocked everyone in the surroundings and all the shops were closed. Locals rushed Saifi to Trauma Centre of CSM Medical University (CSMMU) as he was still breathing. At the trauma centre he died during treatment. Doctors confirmed that he had received five bullet shots.

Saifi’s murder spread like wildfire in the old city. The deceased was quite social and actively participated in the religious processions in old city. He was also close to the various religious clerics. Due to his proximity all the major clerics turned up at trauma centre. Maulana Kalbe Jawwad, Maulana Yasoob Abbas, Maulana Hamidul Hasan and Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahli too reached the trauma centre while he was admitted. Maulana Jawwad even later went to mortuary where postmortem took place. DM AK Sagar, DIG DK Thakur and other police and administrative officials also reached the scene of incident and later at trauma centre.

Among the locals, Saifi had wide acceptability and due to his contacts with the religious clerics, he rubbed shoulders with senior officials. He was often seen in the government offices for helping any one in distress thus earning several admirers in the old city. His youngest daughter is just nine months old while the two sons are eight and seven years of age.

Meanwhile, police after the preliminary investigation informed newsmen that the crime was executed by nine mm pistols. Several persons have been detained by the police for interrogation but no official information was divulged. Police has also taken his mobile phone in its custody and probing the last call which forced Saifi to venture from his home instantly.

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