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.
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 | Lakshmipur |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 15 August 1947 Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Died | 31 March 1997 (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 |
Career
editFrom 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 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
editOn 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
edit- ^ 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.