Atiq Ahmed’s killer may have had links with Sundar Bhati gang

One of the three shooters involved in the murder of dreaded gangster Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf is believed to have links with Sundar Bhati, a gangster from Western Uttar Pradesh.

The Zigana pistol, which was used to shoot Atiq and Ashraf was reportedly given to Sunny, one of the shooters by Bhati's gang.

Bhati is a gangster from Ghanghola village in Gautam Buddh Nagar district in UP. He has over 60 cases against him which include murder, attempt to murder, extortion, assault and robbery. Bhati was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2021 for the murder of one Harendra Pradhan in UP. He is currently lodged in the Sonbhadra jail.

Bhati was said to have met Sunny when he was lodged in the Hamirpur jail. Sunny was behind bars for a robbery. During this time Bhati is said to have taken Sunny into confidence and inducted him into the gang.

Bhati's henchmen had kept in touch with Sunny following his release. It is said that Sunny got the Zifgana pistol from Bhati's men.

Although the police are yet to come to any conclusion regarding the murder of Atiq and his brother, it is yet to be ascertained whether there was an enmity between the two gangs.

On Saturday night, Atiq and Ashraf were bother killed by three persons posing as journalists. The brother-duo were on their way for a medical examination and were talking to media persons before they were killed. Both were involved in the murder of Umesh Pal. The entire incident was captured live on television. The assailants were identified as Sunny, Lavlesh Tiwari and Arun Maurya.

The killers have been nabbed by the police and sent to judicial custody. "We wanted to achieve something huge in the crime world," the killers said after the murder.

Both Atiq and Ashraf died instantly after being hit by over 13 bullets. Two days prior to the murder, Atiq's son, Asad Ahmed was killed in an encounter with the UP police in Jhansi.