LUCKNOW, Feb. 14 -- The killing has once again drawn attention to Shoaib Qidwai alias Bobby's controversial past. He had earlier been named in the 1999 murder of jail superintendent Ramakant Tiwari, who was shot dead on February 4 that year near Raj Bhavan in Lucknow. Tiwari was returning around 7 pm after a meeting at the residence of the then district magistrate when assailants opened fire on his vehicle. The high-profile case had named Mukhtar Ansari, former MLA Abhay Singh, Chandan Negi, Bauwa Tiwari and over a dozen others. In subsequent developments, Chandan Negi was killed in Lucknow in February 2002, while Bauwa Tiwari died in a police encounter near Kukrail in March 2002. The remaining accused, including Qidwai, were later acquitted due to lack of evidence. Barabanki SP Arpit Vijayvargiya confirmed that Qidwai was a listed history-sheeter. "Twelve criminal cases are registered against him in Barabanki. Teams have been deployed to trace the attackers," he said. Police believe Qidwai's criminal record and past associations could be key to establishing the motive, with gang rivalry and old enmities among the angles being examined. A resident of Civil Lines in Barabanki, Qidwai was known locally for his legal practice as well as his political activity. He had served as block pramukh of Banki block and was considered influential in district politics. He is survived by wife Shazia Khan and 15-year-old son. htc...