Atiq Ahmed, Ashraf's Killers Were Jobless, Addicted To Drugs, Reveals Family

Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were shot dead at point-blank range by men posing as journalists in Prayagraj.

New Delhi: The family of the assailants who reportedly killed gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed said that they were jobless and drug addict. Speaking to reporters on Sunday after the sensational killings of Atiq and his brother Ashraf in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj, one of the shooters' brother said that there are cases registered against him, while another assailant's father said that they don't know anything about him.

"There are cases registered against my brother. He did not do anything for a living. I was not aware that my brother is involved in the killing of Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf," news agency ANI quoted the brother of one of the shooters as saying.

#WATCH | Hamirpur, UP | There are cases registered against my brother. He did not do anything for a living. I was not aware that my brother is involved in the killing of Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf: Pintu Singh, brother of Sunny Singh, one of the shooters who killed Atiq… pic.twitter.com/b8ReZZr1Nt — ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2023

Another shooter's father also spoke to reporters and said that his son is a drug addict.

"We saw the incident on TV. We are not aware of his actions nor do we have anything to do with this. He never lived here and neither was he involved in our family affairs. He did not tell us anything," he was quoted as saying by ANI.

He added they have not been on talking terms with him for years.

"He doesn`t work. He was a drug addict," he said.

He also revealed that his son was arrested earlier for slapping a girl.

#WATCH | UP: ...We have no information about how he reached there and we didn't mean anything to him...He is a drug addict...We don't know anything about him...: Yagya Tiwari, father of shooter Lovelesh Tiwari who shot gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf pic.twitter.com/ClmtzkKL9k — ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2023

As per reports, the three assailants, who killed Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf, belong to three different districts in Uttar Pradesh. They reportedly came to Prayagraj 48 hours before the incident and were staying at a hotel.

Atiq, a former Samajwadi Party (SP) MP, and his brother Ashraf were shot dead at point-blank range by three men posing as journalists in Prayagraj. The jailed brothers were being taken by police to a medical college for a checkup.

Briefing reporters about the incident, Commissioner of Police, Prayagraj, Ramit Sharma said the three assailants, who were arrested immediately after the incident, had joined the group of media persons who were trying to get sound bites from Atiq and Ashraf.

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

Police constable Man Singh was injured in the incident as a bullet hit his arm, the officer said, adding that a journalist was also hurt after he fell during the commotion that followed the shooting.

#WATCH प्राथमिक जानकारी के अनुसार तीन लोग मीडियाकर्मी बनकर आए, उन्होंने हमला किया। तीन लोगों को पकड़ा गया है जिनसे पूछताछ जारी है। उनके पास से कुछ असलहा बरामद हुआ है। अतीक अहमद और उसके भाई अशरफ की मौत के अलावा एक पुलिसकर्मी को भी गोली लगी है। एक पत्रकार को भी चोट आई है: अतीक अहमद… pic.twitter.com/UtclgPWD1V — ANI_HindiNews (@AHindinews) April 15, 2023

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has formed a three-member judicial commission to probe the killing of Atiq Ahmed and his brother.

Prohibitory orders under section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) have also been issued in all districts of Uttar Pradesh.

Atiq and his brother were brought to Prayagraj for a court hearing in connection with the Umesh Pal murder case and were remanded in police custody.

Umesh Pal, a key witness in the murder case of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Raju Pal, and his two police security guards were shot dead outside his Dhoomanganj residence in Prayagraj on February 24.

Based on a complaint lodged by Umesh Pal's wife Jaya Pal, a case was registered on February 25 against Ahmad, Ashraf, Ahmad's wife Shaista Parveen, two sons, aides Guddu Muslim and Ghulam, and nine others.