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Virendra Pratap Shahi 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 from June 1980 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 Sri Prakash Shukla.[2][3][4]
Virendra Pratap Shahi | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly | |
| In office June 1980 – March 1985 | |
| Constituency | Nautanwa |
| Member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly | |
| In office March 1985 – November 1989 | |
| Personal details | |
| Died | 1997 Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Manner of death | Assassination |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Political party | Independent |
| 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 |
He was known for his manipulative skills and his ability to win government contracts and influence people. In 1980, he contested the assembly elected from the Laxmipur 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]
In early 1997, he was shot dead in Lucknow by Sriprakash 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]
References
edit- ^ Khandekar, Sreekant; Chawla, Prabhu (October 31, 1984). "Caste to influence voting patterns in coming Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh". India Today.
- ^ Srivastav, Rajiv (January 18, 2022). "Once upon a time in Gorakhpur..." The Times of India.
- ^ a b c Singh, Rohit (March 31, 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. June 5, 2016.
- ^ "गोरखपुर स्टेशन पर MLA रविंद्र सिंह की हत्या, जिसने पूर्वांचल की राजनीति का रक्तचरित्र ही बदल दिया". Navbharat Times. May 17, 2023.