Atiq Ahmad, brother murder: CM Yogi orders 3-member judicial commission to probe incident

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday constituted a three-member judicial commission to probe the killing of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Khalid Azeem alias Ashraf in Prayagraj, said Special DG, Law and Order, Prashant Kumar.

He said the three assailants were arrested from the spot and a detailed probe is on in the matter. A high-level meeting was convened in Lucknow soon after the incident, said Kumar.

Prohibitory orders in UP
Prohibitory orders under section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) have been issued in all districts of Uttar Pradesh to maintain law and order, they 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."

The incident
Ahmad (60) and his brother were shot dead at point-blank range by three men posing as journalists in the middle of a media interaction on April 16, Saturday night while police personnel were escorting them to a medical college in Prayagraj for a checkup.

The brothers, both jailed in Prayagraj, were in handcuffs when they were killed in full view of camera crews around 10 pm. The horrifying visuals were circulated widely on social media platforms and television channels.

Briefing reporters in Prayagraj, Commissioner of Police Ramit Sharma said that the three assailants, who were arrested immediately after the incident, had joined the group of mediapersons who were trying to get sound bites from Ahmad and Ashraf.

"As per mandatory legal requirement, Atiq Ahmad and Ashraf were brought to the hospital for medical examination. According to preliminary information, three persons posing as journalists approached them and opened fire. Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf were killed in the attack. The attackers have been held and are being questioned, " Sharma said.

In the incident, Constable Man Singh suffered an injury to his arm and a journalist was hurt after he fell during the commotion that followed the shooting, the officer said.  

(With PTI inputs)