Two assassins acting as TV reporters shot dead jailed mobster Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf at point-blank range when they were being transported to a hospital in Prayagraj for a required medical test under strong security cover.
The two shooters and their associate were taken into custody by police at the crime scene itself. They have been identified as Luvlesh Tiwari, Sunny and Arun Maurya. A police constable and a journalist injured in the attack were in hospital receiving medical attention. Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, requested the formation of a three-member judicial commission to investigate the matter after the spectacular killings and convened a high-level meeting. Rapid Action Force contingents have been deployed, and CrPC Section 144 has been enforced statewide.
A police team had taken Atiq and Ashraf to Motilal Nehru Hospital at around 10. 35 pm for a routine check up. News channel crews attempted to question them as they were headed towards the hospital after getting out of the police jeep with more than a dozen police officers and jawans around them. Atiq and Ashraf had barely started to speak when a youth, who was walking along with the mediapersons and was to Atiq’s left, took out a pistol and fired a shot into his left temple and another into the head. Atiq slumped to the ground. In the next instant Asharf, who was handcuffed to Atiq, was also reportedly first shot from behind and then in the head.
Eyewitnesses said around 14 rounds were fired. The shooting lasted 22 seconds. The cops quickly subdued the two shooters and their accomplice. As they were being restrained by police, two of them were heard yelling "Jai Shri Ram."
The killings come just two days after the Atiq’s son Asad Ahmed, as well as his aide Hassan, were killed in a police encounter with the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF). The two were shot dead by the STF during an encounter where they reportedly refused to surrender and opened fire in an attempt to flee. Asad had earlier approached the Supreme Court stating that he feared he would be killed in a fake encounter but India’s top court had turned down his plea.
Two of Atiq Ahmed’s alleged aides, who were also accused in the Umesh Pal murder case, were also recently killed in separate police encounters.