Atiq killers were inspired by Lawrence Bishnoi's interviews

The killers of Atiq Ahmed have revealed during the investigation that they took inspiration from jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, NDTV reported citing sources.

One of the three assailants Sunny Singh hatched the plan to murder Atiq Ahmed after getting heavily inspired by Bishnoi's interviews. The latter's communally charged comments influenced the former and that made him plan for a "big kill" similar to the murder of musician Sidhu Moose Wala, the report added.

Sunny Singh convinced other two killers identified as Lovelesh Tiwari and Arun Maurya to join him to eliminate Atiq, sources further told the website. They have told the cops that they wanted to make a name for themselves and establish their identity in the State by eliminating Atiq Ahmad's gang, according to the FIR.

Gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were shot dead at point-blank range by the three who posed as journalists in the middle of a media interaction on Saturday night. The incident occurred when police personnel were escorting them to a medical college in Prayagraj for a check-up.

Posing as journalists, the three killers were trying to get sound bites from the two gangsters. The men suddenly dropped their camera and fired at the gangster and his brother. They reportedly shouted 'Jai Shri Ram' as they killed the brothers, who were later buried at Kasari Masari graveyard in Prayagraj on Sunday evening.

Meanwhile, the UP Government has formed a three-member judicial commission to inquire into the killings and a Prayagraj court has sent the accused to 14 days' judicial custody. They were initially housed in Prayagraj's Naini Jail and later shifted to Pratapgarh Jail on Monday due to security issues.

With inputs from agency