Prakash Shukla
{{short description|Indian gangster, 1973-1998}}{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2019}}
{{Infobox Criminal
| name = Shri Prakash Shukla
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1973|10|06}}
| birth_place = Mamkhor, Gorakhpur
Uttar Pradesh
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1998|09|22|1973|10|06}}
| beginyear = 1993
| endyear = 1998
| birth_name = Shiv Prakash Shukla
| other_names = *Shri Prakash Shukla {{small|(In Police Records)}}
- Ashok Singh {{small|(In Police Records)}}
| death_place = Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh
| death_cause = Encounter killing
| years_active = 5
| wanted_by = Special Task Force (India)
| parents = Late Ram Samujh Shukla (father)
| nationality = Indian
| occupation = Gangster
| known_for =
| image = Shri Prakash Shukla.jpg
| caption = Only Photograph Available Till Date
| relatives =
| weapons = *Ak-47
}}
Shri Prakash Shukla (6 October, 1973-22 September, 1998) was an Indian gangster active during the 1990's mainly in the state of Uttar Pradesh. He used to be hired by primarily politicians to kill their opponents. He was killed on 22 September 1998, in an encounter with the UP police's Special Task Force.{{cite news|title=Gangster killed following tip-off|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/1998/sep/25gang1.htm|accessdate=21 May 2015|work=Rediff|date=25 September 1998}} He was about 25 at the time of his death.
Life
{{Puffery|section|date=April 2023}}
Shukla was born in Mamkhor village, Gorakhpur on Dussehra ({{birth date|1973|10|06}}) as Shiv Prakash Shukla to Ram Samujh Shukla, a retired IAF Officer later Government Contractor. Shukla was the youngest among 5 siblings. He is reported to have been a notable wrestler in his village. In 1993, Shukla killed a man called Rakesh Tiwari, due to local gang rivalry in the cable tv business.{{Cite news|title=Early Life of Don |accessdate=6 February 2025|url=https://hindi.news18.com/news/uttar-pradesh/gorakhpur-when-1990s-don-notorious-gangster-shri-prakash-shukla-got-scared-from-one-pose-of-bollywood-actor-suniel-shetty-up-stf-used-poster-know-unheard-story-8135221.html|website=News 18|date=11 March 2024}} This was Shukla's first reported criminal offense, and, thanks to it, he gained a criminal record for the first time. Following the murder, Shukla escaped to Bangkok. He returned and became associated with Surajbhan Singh of Mokama, Bihar.{{cite news|title=Death of gunslinger|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/kalyan-singh-gets-edge-in-his-war-against-crime-as-police-guns-down-top-don-s.p.-shukla/1/265025.html|accessdate=23 May 2015|work=India Today|date=5 October 1998}}
Shukla has two names in Indian police records.
- Shri Prakash Shukla
- Ashok Singh
In early 1997, Shukla killed Virendra Shahi, an underworld figure turned politician and a member of the state's assembly, in IndiraNagar area of Lucknow. It was presumed that Hari Shankar Tiwari, who was an opponent of Virendra Shahi, would be targeted next as Shukla wanted the Chillupar assembly seat.{{cite news|title=Rule of Flaw|url=http://archives.digitaltoday.in/indiatoday/24111997/up.html|accessdate=23 May 2015|work=India Today|date=24 November 1997}} In April 1998, the Uttar Pradesh police formed a STF to capture or kill 43 top criminals of the state, Shukla (alive or dead) was on the top of the list.
On 26 May 1998, Shukla's gang kidnapped Kunal Rastogi, the son of a medical businessman, from Botanical Gardens in Lucknow. His father was shot dead as he tried to save him. The gang allegedly took {{INR}}50 million from a relative in kanpur to free the boy.{{cite news|title=Where fear is the key|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/increase-in-crime-mafia-activity-puts-uttar-pradesh-cm-kalyan-singh-on-the-defensive/1/264390.html|work=India Today|date=6 July 1998}}{{cite news|title=Elastic standards|url=http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl1514/15141220.htm|accessdate=23 May 2015|work=Frontline|date=17 July 1998}} In June 1998, he also allegedly killed Brij Behari Prasad, a minister from Bihar, in a Patna hospital where he was undergoing treatment. Soon after, Sakshi Maharaj, a Member of the Parliament from Farrukhabad, had claimed that Shukla had taken a contract of {{currency|80|INR}} million to kill the then Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh. But, he did not reveal the source of this information.{{cite news|title=Kalyan Singh's would-be assassin bumped off|url=http://m.rediff.com/%0D%0Anews/1998/sep/23up.htm|accessdate=23 May 2015|work=Rediff|date=23 September 1998|archive-date=23 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150523170349/http://m.rediff.com/%0D%0Anews/1998/sep/23up.htm|url-status=dead}}
Death
On 8 and 15 September 1998, episodes about Sriprakash Shukla were broadcast on the crime show India's Most Wanted. The host of the show, Suhaib Ilyasi, claimed that he got threat calls from Shukla after that. He has also said that he got an anonymous phone call on 10 September 1998 saying Shukla and his associates had been seen in a blue Daewoo Cielo near AIIMS Delhi. On 21 September, another anonymous caller said that Shukla and his associates had been seen in Ghaziabad in a blue Daewoo Cielo. The tips were forwarded to the Delhi and Uttar Pradesh police.
File:Shri Prakash Shukla cielo car.png
File:Dead body of Shri Prakash Shukla.jpg
On 22 September 1998, Shukla was shot dead by the Uttar Pradesh police's Special Task Force (STF), outside an apartment complex in Ghaziabad. Shukla was hiding in the Vasant Kunj area of Delhi. He had come to Ghaziabad to visit his girlfriend. He was on his way to the Palam airport presumably to escape to Ranchi, where his arms-dealer Suraj Bhan lived. By this time, the task force, which was formed in April, had spent {{INR}}1 million in the investigation and had flown between Patna, Lucknow and Delhi trying to track him down. He was tracked down primarily by his mobile phone. He used to change SIM cards but he had used one number more than other for a week. The mobile phone and diary recovered after the shootout provided evidence of his connections to politicians.
After death
After his death, the STF found that Shukla was connected to various politicians, his godfather and protector was Madhumita Shukla murder accused Amarmani Tripathi, members of Mayawati government and some politicians had provided him shelter. Some had taken money from Shukla in exchange for these favours.{{cite news|title=Criminal's Bedfellows|url=http://archives.digitaltoday.in/indiatoday/26101998/invest.html|accessdate=23 May 2015|work=India Today|date=26 October 1998|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150529065501/http://archives.digitaltoday.in/indiatoday/26101998/invest.html|archive-date=29 May 2015}} On 5 November 1998, Pritam Singh, a member of the STF, was shot dead by members of Shukla's gang.{{cite news|title=UP police inspector's murder solved|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/1999/99feb14/nation.htm#2|accessdate=23 May 2015|work=The Tribune (India)|date=13 February 1999}}{{cite news|title=Not an ordinary crime|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/1998/98nov07/edit.htm#2|accessdate=23 May 2015|work=The Tribune (India)|date=7 November 1998}}
In popular culture
- In 2005, a film, Sehar, based on the STF's work which killed Shukla was released. The character based on Shukla was played by Sushant Singh.{{cite news|title=STF saga on celluloid|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/STF-saga-on-celluloid/articleshow/1158751.cms|accessdate=23 May 2015|work=The Times of India|date=2 July 2005}}{{cite news|title=Special Task Force behind Sehar story|url=http://archive.mid-day.com/news/2005/jul/114187.htm|accessdate=23 May 2015|work=Mid Day|date=17 June 2005|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304042729/http://archive.mid-day.com/news/2005/jul/114187.htm|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|title=Hero police - Increasingly the arm of the law is being shown in a new bright light|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050729/asp/etc/story_5032360.asp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060427121939/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050729/asp/etc/story_5032360.asp|url-status=dead|archive-date=27 April 2006|accessdate=23 May 2015|work=The Telegraph (India)|date=29 July 2005}}
- In 2010, a TV series, Gunahon Ka Devta, was broadcast. One of the characters was based on Shukla.{{cite news|title=LSD to a UP Gangster|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/lsd-to-a-up-gangster/article1-598020.aspx|accessdate=23 May 2015|work=Hindustan Times|date=9 September 2010}}{{Dead link|date=May 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
- Zee5's Rangbaaz first session is based on Shukla's character played by Saqib Saleem.
- JioCinema's Inspector Avinash is based on the STF which killed Shukla.
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Shukla, Sriprakash}}
Category:Criminals from Uttar Pradesh
Category:Year of birth missing
Category:Indian gangsters killed in encounters