Who killed gangster Atiq Ahmed, brother Ashraf? 3 shooters held

Mafioso-turned politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were killed on Saturday night while being taken for medical treatment in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj.

The shootout that occurred around 10 pm was broadcast live on camera as Atiq and Ashraf were speaking to the media. Sounds of indiscriminate fire could be heard as Atiq and Ashraf collapsed on the ground.

Soon after the incident, the assailants can be seen chanting Jai Shri Ram who were then immediately apprehended by Uttar Pradesh police. The incident took place when Atiq and Ashraf were surrounded by cops.

At least three people, who posed as mediapersons, were seen firing from a close range at Atiq and his brother who fell to the ground.

Following the incident, the shooters turned themselves in to the police. The accused has been identified as Sunny, Lovelesh, and Arun.

A police team from Uttar Pradesh brought Atiq, who was lodged in the high-security Sabarmati Central Jail in Gujarat's Ahmedabad, to Prayagraj on March 26 to produce him in a court in the 2006 Umesh Pal kidnapping case.

On March 28, the court sentenced Ahmad and two others to life imprisonment in the kidnapping case.

In 2006, Ahmed and his aides abducted Umesh Pal and forced him to give a statement in court in their favour. Umesh Pal had got a complaint registered in this regard.

The Supreme Court had in April 2019 directed that Ahmed be shifted to a high-security jail in Gujarat after he was accused of orchestrating the kidnapping and assault of Lucknow-based real-estate businessman Mohit Jaiswal while in jail.

Ahmed was named in more than 100 criminal cases, including the Umesh Pal murder case, police said.

Among the most sensational murders in which Ahmed was allegedly involved was that of Raju Pal, the then BSP MLA who was shot dead in 2005.

Ahmed moved the Supreme Court for protection, claiming that he and his family have been falsely implicated in the Umesh Pal murder case and he may be killed in a fake encounter by the Uttar Pradesh Police.

(with PTI inputs)