Vacation bench rejects gangster Jeeva's wife’s urgent plea and lists the matter for hearing after vacation

Today, a vacation bench of the Supreme Court refused to pass an urgent order on a plea filed by the wife of gangster Sanjeev Maheshwari Jeeva, Payal Maheshwari. The gangster was shot dead in Lucknow on June 07, 2023, in a dramatic shooting inside a courtroom, seeking protection from arrest in a lodged criminal case against her in Uttar Pradesh. The vacation bench was told by the government’s submission that the last rites of the gangster were performed by his son on June 08, 2023. A total of 26 cases were registered against gangster Jeeva ranging from murder and extortion to robbery and cheating. In 1997, he was convicted of a murder case of Dutt Dwivedi and was serving a life sentence. Moreover, he, along with gangster-returned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, was also accused of the murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai. It was determined that Sanjeev Maheshwari Jeeva was close to Ansari who helped him in increasing his rank in the world of crime. 

During the hearing, Payal’s lawyer requested the bench to examine her plea for protection against arrest which was further declined by the bench. The Supreme Court bench added, “The stand is continuously shifting…let the matter be listed after vacation. There is no urgency for a hearing during the vacation.” Additional Advocate General Garima Prashad, appearing for the Uttar Pradesh government, informed the bench that Payal chose not to attend her husband’s funeral despite the state’s undertaking to the court that she will not be arrested, a day ago. He further added “She is the leader of the gang. Her husband was lodged in jail, but she is running the gang from outside.”