NIA officer Tanzil Ahmad killing pre-planned, all angles being probed: Police

New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh police are working "on all angles" to find out the motive behind the killing of NIA officer Tanzil Ahmad, who was shot 21 times in an attack by unidentified assailants post-midnight on Saturday.

The shooting in Uttar Pradesh's Bijnor district took place when the officer was returning from a wedding with his wife and children. His wife Farzana got four bullet injuries, but his children were unharmed.

Ahmad, 48, known for undercover operations, joined the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2010.

"The assailants came on motorbikes and opened fire from a close range on Ahmad near Sahaspur town," NIA spokesperson Sanjeev Kumar told reporters here earlier Sunday. "He was inspector with NIA but back with BSF he was assistant commandant."

Tanzil Ahmad's wife is undergoing treatment at Fortis Hospital in Noida.

"Nothing can be ruled out now until and unless we get absolute concrete evidence. We have to work on all angles. We have to see it from all the sides and work out the case," Daljit Chowdhary, additional director general of police, Uttar Pradesh, said on Sunday.

He said borders have been sealed, nearby areas are being searched and senior officials from Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) have been put on the job to track the assailants and probe the attack.

"I am very hopeful that we will work out the case and arrest the accused. It looks like a planned attack. It was definitely not a robbery," Chowdhary said.

The NIA has also termed Ahmad's killing as a "planned attack".

"A planned attack took place on him when he was fired upon and killed," NIA spokesman Kumar said. "He (Tanzil) was assistant commandant with BSF and currently on deputation with NIA. He was with us for last six and half years."

The premier investigating agency is trying to find out how he was tracked by his assailants.

"The patient has been brought in a critical condition. Our doctors are providing the best medical treatment to treat the patient. As a matter of patient confidentiality we cannot comment anything further," a statement from the Fortis Noida said.

Ahmad was pronounced dead on being taken to a medical facility in Moradabad. His body is being brought to Delhi.

Before joining the NIA, Ahmad was part of the in-house team of BSF, providing vigilance cover. He also held tenures as instructor at BSF Academy at Tekanpur, near Gwalior, and training centre at Hazaribagh.