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| {{short description|Indian Gangster}}
| | #REDIRECT [[Sri Prakash Shukla]] |
| {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2019}}
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| {{Use Indian English|date=March 2019}}
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| ''' Shri Prakash Shukla''' or '''Shiv Prakash Shukla''' was an Indian gangster and contract killer active during the 1990s majorly in the state of [[Uttar Pradesh]].<ref name=Bedfellows/> He was killed on 22 September 1998 in an encounter with the UP STF.<ref name=TipOff>{{cite news|title=Gangster killed following tip-off|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/1998/sep/25gang1.htm|access-date=21 May 2015|work=[[Rediff]]|date=26 September 1998}}</ref> He was about 25 at the time of his death.
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| ==Life==
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| Shri Prakash Shukla was born in Mamkhor village, near Hata bazar [[Gorakhpur]]. He was one of the most notorious gangsters of Uttar Pradesh. His Father was a retired Airforce Officer and later became a government contracter.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grfpozEhE8Y</ref> He was not a good student. In 1993, Shukla killed a man named Rakesh Tiwari, because of local rivalry. This was Shukla's first criminal record. However Rakesh Tiwari was shot by mistake. After the incident , Shukla was himself guilty for he had not done it intentionally. The family was assured about Shukla's safety by a renowned politician of Gorakhpur. Shukla was sent to [[Bangkok]] by him. After his return he murdered Virendra Shahi. Later he became associated with Suraj Bhan of [[Mokama]], [[Bihar]].<ref name=Bedfellows/><ref name="Slinger">{{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}}</ref> He was once the most dreaded and ruthless gangster of [[Uttar Pradesh]] and [[North Bihar]] who created panic among others in the business but no one dared to confront him in his area of influence. He had become the biggest headache for the politicians too who complained to the police department to take urgent action against him.
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| In early 1997, he killed Virendra Shahi, a politician and a member of the state's underworld, in [[Lucknow]]. He started the trend of clearing AK-47 and Carbine magazines by spreading bullets on the enemies. This trend is being followed in [[Chicago]] of east (Gorakhpur) till now. It was presumed that [[Hari Shankar Tiwari]], who was an opponent of Shahi, would be targeted next as Shukla wanted the Chillupar assembly seat.<ref name=Bedfellows/><ref name=Slinger/><ref name=Flaw>{{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}}</ref> In April 1998, the [[Uttar Pradesh police]] formed a [[Special Task Force (India)|STF]] to capture or kill 43 top criminals of the state, Shukla was on the list.<ref name=Slinger/>
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| On 26 May 1998, Shukla's gang kidnapped Kunal Rastogi, the son of a businessman, from Botanical Gardens, [[Lucknow]]. His father was shot dead as he tried to save him. The gang allegedly took {{INR}}50 million to free the boy.<ref name=Bedfellows/><ref name=Fear>{{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}}</ref><ref name=Elastic>{{cite news|title=Elastic standards|url=http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl1514/15141220.htm|accessdate=23 May 2015|work=[[Frontline (magazine)|Frontline]]|date=17 July 1998}}</ref> On 13 June 1998, he also allegedly killed [[Brij Behari Prasad]], a minister from [[Bihar]], in a [[IGIMS]] [[Patna]] 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|60|INR}} million to kill then [[Uttar Pradesh]] Chief Minister [[Kalyan Singh]]. But, he did not reveal the source of this information.<ref name=Bumped>{{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}}</ref>
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| ==Death==
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| On 8 and 15 September 1998, episodes about Prakash 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 district, India|Ghaziabad]] in a blue Daewoo Cielo. The tips were forwarded to the [[Delhi]] and [[Uttar Pradesh]] police.<ref name=TipOff/>
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| On 22 September 1998, Shukla was shot dead by the Uttar Pradesh police's Special Task Force (STF), outside an apartment complex in Vasundhara, 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.<ref name=Bedfellows/><ref name=TipOff/><ref name=Slinger/> By this time, the task force, which was formed in April, had spent {{INR}}10 million in the investigation and had flown 1,00,000 km between [[Patna]], [[Lucknow]] and [[Delhi]] trying to track him down.<ref name=Bedfellows/> He was tracked down primarily by his mobile phone. He used to change [[SIM card]]s but he had used one number more than other for a week.<ref name=Slinger/> The mobile phone and diary recovered after the shootout provided evidence of his connections to politicians.<ref name=Saga/>
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| ==After death==
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| After his death, the STF found that Shukla was connected to various politicians, including members of [[Kalyan Singh]] government, and members of the [[Indian Police Service]] and [[Indian Administrative Service]]. They had helped him evade the police [[dragnet (policing)|dragnet]] and some politicians had provided him shelter. Some had taken money from Shukla in exchange for these favours.<ref name=Bedfellows>{{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}}</ref>
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| ==In popular culture==
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| * 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]].<ref name=Saga>{{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}}</ref><ref name=Sehar>{{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}}</ref><ref name=BrightLight>{{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|accessdate=23 May 2015|work=[[The Telegraph (India)]]|date=29 July 2005}}</ref>
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| * In 2010, a TV series, ''[[Gunahon Ka Devta (TV series)|Gunahon Ka Devta]]'', was broadcast. One of the characters was based on Shukla.<ref name=Gangster>{{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=August 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
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| *In 2018 Zee5's ''[[Rangbaaz (web series)|Rangbaaz]]'' is based on Shukla's character played by [[Saqib Saleem]].
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| *In May 2021 web series ''[[Shukla The Tiger]]'' was launched on ''[[MX Player]]'' based on the life of Shri Prakash Shukla.
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| ==References==
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| {{reflist}}
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| {{DEFAULTSORT:Shukla, Prakash}}
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| [[Category:Contract killers]]
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| [[Category:Indian murderers]]
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| [[Category:1998 deaths]]
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| [[Category:Criminals from Uttar Pradesh]]
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| [[Category:Year of birth missing]]
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| [[Category:Indian gangsters]]
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| [[Category:People shot dead by law enforcement officers in India]]
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