Atiq Ahmed, the Uttar Pradesh gangster who faced at least 100 criminal cases, and his brother Ashraf Ahmed were shot dead on camera while they were being taken for a medical check-up in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj last night.
Atiq Ahmed’s son Asad was also killed in an encounter in UP’s Jhansi just two days ago.
Vijay Mishra, the lawyer of the murdered gangster, told the media that someone from a crowd of people fired at Atiq Ahmed and his brother from close range. Mr. Mishra said he was standing beside them when they were shot dead.
Three people have been arrested, the police said. The shooters came disguised as reporters, the police said.
Visuals of the incident show Atiq Ahmed and his brother walking while talking to reporters when someone shoots the gangster in the head. The next moment his brother is also shot dead. Several shots were fired, eyewitnesses said.
The police said a constable and a journalist were also injured.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered a high-level probe into the shooting incident. The Chief Minister has also formed a three-member judicial commission to investigate the incident. Large gatherings have been banned in all districts of UP.
Atiq Ahmed was a Samajwadi Party MP and was convicted in a kidnapping case. He was also accused in the murder of Bahujan Samaj Party MLA Raju Pal in 2005 and the killing of Umesh Pal, the murdered MLA’s lawyer, in February this year.
Atiq Ahmed was brought to UP from jail in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. He had alleged he would be killed in an encounter and requested the authorities to spare his family.
Opposition party leaders condemned the murders even when the two men were surrounded by a large police force, alleging the Yogi Adityanath government has failed to ensure the rule of law.
“Atiq and his brother were killed while in police custody and were handcuffed. Slogans of JSR were also raised. Their murder is a perfect example of Yogi’s big failure of law and order. Those celebrating encounter-raj are equally responsible for this murder,” AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi tweeted.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said crime has reached its peak in UP and the morale of 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,” Mr Yadav tweeted in Hindi.
UP Minister Swatantra Dev Singh, however, tweeted a cryptic line – “Sin and virtue are accounted for in this birth…”
