Prayagraj: Mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother and former MLA Ashraf were shot dead by unidentified assailants while they were being taken to the Colvin hospital for regular checkup in police custody on Saturday night, police sources said here.
Sources said that taking cognizance of the Prayagraj incident Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath called a high-level meeting which was attended by Director General of Police (DGP) RK Vishwakarma, Special DG (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar, Principal Secretary (Home) Sanjay Prasad and other senior officers.
Sources said that the CM has ordered a high-level inquiry into the matter and has also directed to constitute a three member judicial commission. Though it is yet to be confirmed officially, 17 police personnel, including incharge of Dhoomanganj police station, have been suspended on the directives of the CM.
Sources said that section 144 of CrPC (preventive order) has been imposed in some parts of the city and people are being asked to come out of their houses unnecessarily.
Police sources said that the assailants, said to be three in number, shot Atiq and Ashraf from close range while they were being taken for regular checkup. "Atiq was shot in his head from point blank range,' they said.
Reports said that the incident took place while they were being taken to the Colvin hospital, sources said that they died on the spot. Sources said that the assailants fired several rounds even as tight security arrangements were made while taking the duo to the medical college.
While the police claimed that the assailants were nabbed from the spot, sources said that they threw their weapons and surrendered on the spot. Firearms used in the double murder were recovered from the spot, sources said.
Police Commissioner of Prayagraj Ramit Sharma said that three persons reached the spot in the guise of media persons and shot Atiq and Ashraf indiscriminately killing them on the spot.
He said the assailants have been arrested and were being questioned in detail.
He said that police personnel Man Singh also sustained bullet injury in the incident and was undergoing treatment. A journalist was also injured in the incident and has been taken for treatment.
It may be noted that Atiq and his brother Ashraf were remanded to four day police custody on Friday in connection with the murder of Umesh Pal, the main witness in Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Raju Pal murder case.
Atiq's murder came on the day when his son Assad was buried after being killed in an encounter with the Special Task Force (STF) of Uttar Pradesh Police in Jhansi on Thursday. It may be mentioned that while Atiq was having around 100 cases against him, including that of murder, extortion and under Gangster Act, around 50 cases were pending against Ashraf.
Recently, they were accused in the murder of Umesh Pal, the main witness in Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Raju Pal murder case.
Atiq and Ashraf were brought from Sabarmati jail in Ahmedabad and Bareilly respectively for questioning in the Umesh Pal murder case. In fact on March 28 Atiq was convicted and awarded life imprisonment by a Prayagraj court in connection with the kidnapping of Umesh Pal in the year 2006. (UNI)
