Atiq Ahmed, the gangster-turned-politician, and his brother Ashraf were shot dead on Saturday, April 15, while being escorted to Colvin Hospital in Prayagraj for a regular checkup. The murders were shown live on television as the two brothers responded to inquiries from reporters.
Atiq and Ashraf were in police custody remand from April 13. It was to end on Sunday evening at 5 pm. However, the duo was killed by three individuals on Saturday night. Uttar Pradesh government has issued prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC in all districts. As per the reports, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has also constituted a three-member judicial commission to probe the killing of Atiq and his brother Ashraf.
The shootout happened just days after Atiq’s son Asad was killed in an encounter by the Uttar Pradesh STF. Atiq and his family members, including his brother Ashraf and his son Asad, were accused in the Umesh Pal murder case. However, there was a time when everybody in the city of Prayagraj was scared of Atiq.
A report by Prabhat Khabar reveals that 10 judges had recused themselves from a court case involving Atiq Ahmed. Later, the 11th judge agreed to hear the case and granted bail to the accused Atiq Ahmed in all the cases lodged against him.
The incident dates back to the year 2012 when the Allahabad High Court granted bail to Atiq, who was in jail in connection with a case registered against him under the stringent Gangsters’ Act. The order was passed by Justice D P Singh, who made it clear that Ahmed would have to appear before the trial court whenever summons were issued.
Atiq Ahmed, who was seeking revival of his sagging political career by contesting the assembly elections from Allahabad (West) seat, had been behind bars ever since he was arrested from Delhi in January 2008. He was lodged in a jail in Basti district in the year 2012. He was accused in a number of criminal cases, most notable being the murder of BSP MLA Raju Pal in 2005.
According to the reports, he had secured bail in the murder case barely a few months after being named as an accused. However, once the Mayawati-led BSP took control of the state in 2007, several new cases were brought against Ahmed and his close friends.
Atiq Ahmed had been granted bail in all cases, which included threatening witnesses in the Pal murder case and those related to land-grabbing, except the one slapped against him under the Gangsters’ Act.
In the year 2012, Atiq Ahmed lost during the assembly elections. The Samajwadi Party government was formed in Uttar Pradesh that year, in which Atiq Ahmed again tried his best to regain his glory. Then SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav had given him a ticket from Sultanpur in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. This was opposed by many from within the party so the seat was changed to Shravasti. But Atiq lost again and this resulted in him falling out of favour in the party.
