Gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed, brother Ashraf shot dead in Prayagraj; three detained 

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By Qayam Masumi, Edited By Adam Rizvi, The India Observer, TIO, NJ: Declining state of law enforcement and order in Uttar Pradesh, India

Atiq Ahmed, a former gangster turned politician, and his brother Ashraf were fatally shot in Prayagraj while being taken for a routine medical checkup at Calvin Hospital in Prayagraj on the night of April 15. The incident occurred around 10:30 p.m. at the entrance of Moti Lal Nehru Mandaliya Chikitsalaya, where the brothers were accompanied by approximately a dozen security personnel. The former MP was assassinated just hours after his son’s funeral, Asad Ahmed. Atiq Ahmed was also present at the scene and sustained injuries. As of now, three individuals have been apprehended in connection with the shooting.

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The incident has sparked widespread condemnation and raised concerns about the rise of political violence in the country. The authorities are investigating the matter and have increased security in the area. It remains to be seen what led to the shooting and what actions will be taken against those responsible.

According to Police Commissioner Ramit Sharma, the attackers had arrived on motorcycles disguised as journalists. They approached the brothers on the pretext of interviewing them and fired at close range, causing them both to sustain fatal gunshot wounds to the head. The doctors later declared them dead. The police apprehended three suspects, identified as , Arun Maurya, and Sunny, at the scene and seized three firearms. One of the alleged attackers reportedly shouted slogans of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ while being apprehended by the Uttar Pradesh police. To maintain law and order in the city, the police have imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code in the Chakiya, Kareli, and Dhoomanganj areas of Prayagraj, which prohibits the assembly of more than four people.

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The Special Director General (Law and Order), Prashant Kumar, visited the residence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to provide him with a briefing on the incident. The Uttar Pradesh police detained three alleged attackers, identified as Navin Tiwari, Arun Maurya, and Sonu, from the scene of the crime.

The opposition parties criticized the Uttar Pradesh government, with Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav claiming that crime has peaked in the state and that certain people are intentionally creating an atmosphere of fear. “When someone can be killed in broad daylight amidst police security, what about the safety of the general public? This is creating a sense of fear among the public,” Yadav tweeted in Hindi. 

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The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) alleged that such an incident could not have occurred without the approval of top officials. BSP Lok Sabha member from Amroha, Kunwar Danish Ali, stated that in any other democracy, the state government would have been dismissed following such a heinous crime against the rule of law. “The cold-blooded murder of Ateeq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf is the epitome of anarchy in Uttar Pradesh!” he wrote on Twitter.

Atiq Ahmed, aged 62, was known for his criminal syndicate which had been under scrutiny by the Uttar Pradesh government since the killing of Umesh Pal on February 24, who was a key witness in the 2005 murder case of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Raju Pal. Ahmed had more than 100 criminal cases against him and was one of the first politicians in Uttar Pradesh to be charged under the ‘Gangster Act’ in the late 1980s.

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On February 25, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had promised to “destroy the criminals” in the State legislative assembly, in response to opposition leader Akhilesh Yadav’s allegations of deteriorating law and order in the state after the murder of Umesh Pal.

Ahmed was elected as an independent candidate to the Vidhan Sabha from the Allahabad West constituency in the 1989 elections, and retained the seat for a record four terms between 1989 and 2004. He was also elected as a Lok Sabha member from the Phulpur Lok Sabha seat in 2004, which was once represented by Jawaharlal Nehru. During the volatile electoral environment of the 1990s in Uttar Pradesh, where no chief minister completed their tenure and president’s rule was imposed three times, Ahmed used his political influence to establish a syndicate that engaged in property business, with allegations of forced property captures in Allahabad and other criminal activities.

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As the police were escorting Ahmad and his brother to the hospital for a medical checkup, mediapersons were recording their movements, and the shooting was captured on camera. Two individuals were seen firing at close range, causing Ahmad and his brother to collapse. The police quickly subdued the attackers. The area was tense after the shocking murder, and the bullet-ridden bodies of Ahmad and Ashraf were removed from the scene.

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