Virendra Pratap Shahi
Indian gangster (1947–1997)
Virendra Pratap Shahi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly | |
| In office June 1981 – November 1989 | |
| Preceded by | Abdul Rauf Lari |
| Succeeded by | Amarmani Tripathi |
| Constituency | Nautanwa (then Lakshmipur) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1947-08-15)15 August 1947 Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Died | 31 March 1997(1997-03-31) (aged 49) Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Manner of death | Assassination by gunshot |
| Political party | Independent |
| Other political affiliations | Rashtriya Sanjay Manch Janata Dal Samajwadi Party |
| Spouse | Girjesh Shahi (m.1978) |
| Children | 2 son's (Deceased) 2 daughter's |
| Occupation | Gangster, Politician |
| Known for | Involvement in the gang war with Hari Shankar Tiwari, Served as a Member of 8th Vidhan Sabha and 9th Vidhan Sabha of Uttar Pradesh |
Virendra Pratap Shahi (15 August 1947 – 31 March 1997) was an Indian gangster turned politician from Uttar Pradesh.[1] He served as the Member of the Legislative Assembly for the Nautanwa Assembly constituency of Uttar Pradesh.
Career
From June 1981 to March 1985 and again from March 1985 to November 1989. He was a notorious gangster in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, known for his involvement in the gang war between him and Hari Shankar Tiwari, another gangster-turned-politician. The two warlords were involved in approximately 50 murders, and their gang war became a folklore in the Purvanchal region, earning it the sobriquet of Chicago of the East and Slice of Sicily. He was shot dead in 1997 by a gangster Shri Prakash Shukla.[2][3][4]
He was known for his manipulative skills and his ability to win government contracts and influence people. In 1981, he contested the assembly (by-poll) elected from the Lakshmipur assembly constituency now Nautanwa of Maharajganj district as an Independent candidate and won the election against Amarmani Tripathi, a close aide of Hari Shankar Tiwari.[5]
The gang war between Shahi and Tiwari originated before the Emergency period. Tiwari was involved in student politics, while Shahi maintained close ties with Ram Kinkar Singh, a former MLA of Basti. He was living in Basti.[3]
Death
On 31 March 1997, Shahi was shot and killed in Lucknow by Shri Prakash Shukla, a rising gangster who was seeking to establish his dominance over the underworld. After his death, Shahi's aides and supporters continued the battle, which led more killings and violence.[3]
Virendra Pratap Shahi had over 63 pending criminal charges, including several for murder. Initially, he was a member of the Rashtriya Sanjay Manch before later joining the Janata Dal.[6]
References
- ^ Khandekar, Sreekant; Chawla, Prabhu (31 October 1984). "Caste to influence voting patterns in coming Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh". India Today.
- ^ Srivastav, Rajiv (18 January 2022). "Once upon a time in Gorakhpur..." The Times of India.
- ^ a b c Singh, Rohit (31 March 2024). "सियासत में वीरेंद्र शाही की इंट्री और लग गई बाहुबलियों की लाइन- जानिए कैसे शुरू हुआ ये सिलसिला". Amar Ujala.
- ^ "Mafia dons from Uttar Pradesh alive on Facebook". Deccan Chronicle. 5 June 2016.
- ^ "गोरखपुर स्टेशन पर MLA रविंद्र सिंह की हत्या, जिसने पूर्वांचल की राजनीति का रक्तचरित्र ही बदल दिया". Navbharat Times. 17 May 2023.
- ^ Srikanta Ghosh; Law Research Institute, Calcutta (1991). The Indian Mafia. Ashish Publishing House. p. 13. ISBN 9788170243786.
