Lok Sabha Pays Tribute to Late Atiq Ahmed and 12 Others in Obituary References

During the commencement of the monsoon session on Thursday, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla read out the obituary references for MPs and former members, including the name of the late gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed, who was tragically shot dead in April.

Among the references, Mr. Birla mentioned two sitting MPs - Balubhau alias Suresh Narayan Dhanorkar and Rattan Lal Kataria - and 11 former MPs, namely Parkash Singh Badal, Sujan Singh Bundela, Ranjit Singh, Sandipan Thorat, Viswanatham Kanithi, Atiq Ahmed, Trilochan Kanungo, Ilyas Azmi, Anadi Charan Das, Nihal Singh, and Raj Karan Singh.

Regarding Atiq Ahmed, Mr. Birla shared that he represented the Phulpur constituency in Uttar Pradesh during the 14th Lok Sabha. He served on a committee associated with the Railways and had also been a member of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly. Atiq Ahmed passed away at the age of 60 in Prayagraj on April 15, 2023.

After paying tribute to all the deceased, Mr. Birla conveyed the House's condolences to the grieving families. In a solemn moment, all the members present in the Lok Sabha stood up and observed a few moments of silence.

The tragic incident that claimed Atiq Ahmed's life occurred when he and his brother Ashraf were being taken for a medical check-up on April 15. Three men disguised as journalists shot and killed them. The assailants later confessed to their intentions of eliminating Atiq Ahmed to gain notoriety in the underworld.

This incident occurred just days after Atiq's nephew, Asad Ahmed, was killed in a police encounter. Prior to the incident, Atiq had sought protection from the Supreme Court, citing false implications in the murder case of advocate Umesh Pal, and expressing concerns about being targeted in a fake encounter by the Uttar Pradesh Police.

Atiq Ahmed had a long history of criminal charges, facing over 90 cases that included murder, kidnapping, and extortion. He was also accused of assaulting a professor at Allahabad University in 2018.