Atiq Ahmed, Ashraf killing: Gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed along with his brother Ashraf was shot dead by three assailants in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj on Saturday night. They were interacting with the media while On being taken to the Prayagraj Medical College for a checkup when the assailants opened fire.
The assailants have been identified as Lavlesh Tiwari, Sunny and Arun Maurya. The three posed as media persons and were seen firing from a close range at Ahmad and his brother who fell to the ground, reported news agency PTI. Police soon overpowered the assailants. According to sources, a 15-member team has reached the site.
The bullet-riddled bodies of Ahmad and Ashraf were taken away from the spot as tension gripped the area after the sensational killings. "We are looking into the incident. It is too early to say anything. We are yet to question the arrested men," a police officer said. The interrogation of three police constables, who were present when the incident took place has begun while another sustained injuries.
Meanwhile, Section 144 has been imposed on several areas in Prayagraj.
Both of them had been brought to Pryagraj for a court hearing in connection with the 2005 Umesh Pal murder case.
Leaders condemn the attack
Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav took to Twitter to condemn the attack. He said, "Crime has reached its peak in UP and the morale of the criminals is high. When someone can be killed by firing openly amidst the security cordon of the police, then what about the safety of the general public. Due to this, an atmosphere of fear is being created among the public, it seems that some people are deliberately creating such an atmosphere."
In a series of tweets, Assaduddin Owaisi said, "Atiq and his brother were in police custody. He was handcuffed. JSR slogans were also raised. The killing of both is the failure of Yogi's law and order system. Those celebrating encounter raj are also responsible for this murder."
Atiq Ahmed was convicted earlier
Mafia don-turned-politician, Atiq Ahmed was convicted by an MP-MLA court on March 28, and sentenced to rigorous life imprisonment in the abduction case of now-deceased Umesh Pal. This is Ahmed's first conviction even though more than 100 cases were registered against him.
An MP-MLA court held gangster-politician Atiq Ahmad and two others guilty in the 2006 Umesh Pal kidnapping case and sentenced them to life imprisonment. Ahmad's brother Khalid Azim alias Ashraf and six others have been acquitted in the case.
Special MP-MLA court judge Dinesh Chandra Shukla held Ahmad, Saulat Hanif, a lawyer, and Dinesh Pasi guilty in the case, government counsel Gulab Chandra Agrahari said. The three were pronounced guilty under Indian Penal Code section 364-A (kidnapping or abduction in order to murder), Agrahari said. The maximum sentence under the section is death sentence.
Atiq's son, Asad laid to rest in Prayagraj
The last rites of Asad Ahmad, son of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad, were performed at Kasari Masari graveyard here on Saturday amid heavy police security, with only a few distant relatives and locals present inside the burial ground.
The burial lasted for an hour, police said. Asad and his accomplice Ghulam, both wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case, were shot dead in an exchange of fire with the Uttar Pradesh Police near Jhansi on Thursday. Asad was the third of the five sons of Atiq Ahmad and was absconding since the Umesh Pal murder case.
Among Atiq's other sons, the eldest son Umar is lodged in the Lucknow jail, while the second son Ali is lodged in Naini Central Jail in separate cases. The fourth son Ahjam and the youngest son Aban are housed in a juvenile home in Prayagraj.
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