UP: Gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed, brother Ashraf shot dead in Prayagraj
Jailed gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed, who was lodged in a prison in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj, has been shot dead while being taken for a medical examination, reported ANI. His brother Ashraf Ahmed, who was also in jail, was allegedly killed in the firing on Saturday night, too, said officials. This comes days after Ahmed's son Asad Ahmed was reportedly gunned down in a police encounter on Thursday.
Ahmed brothers were being taken for medical checkup
2-3 people shot at Ahmed, Ashraf: Report
Ahmed and Ashraf were killed in a gun shooting inside Prayagraj's Dhoomganj Police Station, reported The Times of India. The report said that two-three people opened fire at the Ahmed brothers when they were being taken for a medical checkup. However, Mint reported that the duo was shot dead near a medical college in Prayagraj. An official statement is yet to be issued.
2 people arrested after shooting
Soon after the incident, the police removed the bullet-riddled bodies of Ahmed and Ashraf from the site, reported Mint. Meanwhile, Ahmed's lawyer, Vijay Mishra, claimed he was standing next to the Ahmed brothers when they were shot dead, reported NDTV. Somebody from the crowd allegedly fired at them when they were talking to reporters, he told NDTV. Two people have been arrested so far.
Visuals from spot where Ahmed, Ashraf were killed
CM Adityanath vowed to 'turn mafias into dust'
Ahmed, Ashraf, and Asad, among others, were accused in the high-profile Umesh Pal murder case. Interestingly, on February 25—a day after Pal was shot dead in Prayagraj—Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath vowed in a heated Assembly session, "Mafiyaon ko mitti me mila denge (will turn mafias into dust)." Pal was a key witness to the 2005 murder of Bahujan Samaj Party MLA Raju Pal.
Several accused in Pal murder case killed in encounters
On Thursday, Asad and his close aide Ghulam Maksudan were shot dead in an encounter by the UP Special Task Force near Jhansi. They allegedly fired at cops and were killed in retaliatory firing; sophisticated foreign-made weapons were recovered from them. Earlier, two other key accused in Pal's February 24 murder case—Arbaaz and Vijay Chaudhary alias Usman—were also killed in police encounters, said reports.
