Supreme Court Refuses Urgent Listing For Slain Gangster Sanjeev Jeeva's Wife Plea To Attend Last Rites

The Supreme Court today declined the urgent listing of the plea of Payal Maheshwari, wife of alleged gangster Sanjiv Maheshwari 'Jeeva', seeking a 'no coercive action' order so that she could attend her deceased husband's post-funeral rites. The vacation bench comprising Justice Aniruddha Bose and Justice Rajesh Bindal also remarked that the relief sought kept of 'shifting' and there seemed no urgency for the matter to be heard by the vacation bench. 

At the outset, the State of UP, represented by AAG Garima Prashad informed the court that Jeeva's funeral had already taken place yesterday and the petitioner Payal Maheshwari did not attend the funeral even though she was allowed to do so. The AAG added that the police had ensured Maheshwari that no coercive action would be taken against her while she is attending the funeral.

Justice Bose, dictating the order, said–

"The petition is on the ground that funeral of husband of petitioner was to take place. For that purpose, the petitioner sought protection from any coercive action in attending the funeral. We are apprised by the AAG of the State of UP that the funeral has already taken place and the petitioner did not attend the funeral but the son did. The 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 vacations."

However, the counsel for petitioner argued that Maheshwari wanted a no coercive steps order to carry put the last rites of her husband as per the Hindu customs. He said–

"My family has been destroyed. My husband is dead. I wanted a no coercive steps order for the last rites as per Hindu customs."

To this, Sr Adv Prashad said–

"The one seeking permission is also a history sheeter. We know how it works. We had already given permission to attend but she did not."

Noting that the stand of the petitioner had changed from last time, Justice Bose remarked–

"The stand keeps shifting. You wanted this for funeral. It already happened. No urgency for vacation hearing."

Jeeva is said to be a close aide of Mukhtar Ansari and was shot dead by unidentified assailants inside the Lucknow court premises. His name had surfaced in the murder of senior BJP leaders Brahmadutt Dwivedi and Krishnanand Rai.

 Click Here To Read/Download Order