PRAYAGRAJ (UP), Apr 15:
In a dramatic turn of events, jailed gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf were shot dead by unidentified assailants while they were being escorted by police to a medical college here tonight.
The shooting that occurred around 10 pm was caught on camera as mediapersons were following the handcuffed duo, who were being taken to the hospital by police for a medical checkup.
A senior police officer said three people have been arrested in connection with the incident, which occurred just two days after Ahmad’s son Asad was gunned down in a police encounter in Jhansi. Asad’s last rites were performed here earlier in the day.
At least three people, who posed as mediapersons, were seen firing from a close range at Ahmad (60) and Ashraf, who fell to the ground. Police soon overpowered the assailants.
The bullet-riddled bodies of Ahmad and Ashraf were taken away from the spot as tension gripped the area after the sensational killings.
“We are looking into the incident. It is too early to say anything. We are yet to question the arrested men,” a police officer said.
Reacting to the incident, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav said in a tweet in Hindi: “Crime has reached its peak in Uttar Pradesh and the criminals are unfazed. When someone can be shot dead amidst a police cordon, then what about the safety of the general public? An atmosphere of fear is being created among the public due to this and it seems that some people are deliberately creating such an atmosphere.”
Ahmad, a former SP MP, and his brother were brought here for a court hearing in connection with the Umesh Pal murder case and were remanded in police custody. (PTI)
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