Atiq Ahmed-Ashraf Murder: Amid Blame Game, 3 Shooters Shifted To Pratapgarh Jail from Prayagraj

Three sharpshooters - Sunny Singh, Arun Maurya, Lovelesh Towari - who killed the gangsters while they were being escorted by cops - have been moved to Pratapgarh jail from the Naini jail.

Lucknow: Amid a blame game over the sensational killing of gangster-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf, three sharpshooters, who sprayed bullets killing the two on the spot, were shifted from the Prayagraj Central Jail to the Pratapgarh District Jail on Monday over security concerns. News agency PTI quoted a senior official as saying that the transfer of the three killers was done on administrative grounds.

The assailants - Mohit alias Sunny (23) of Hamirpur, Lavlesh Tiwari (22) of Banda and Arun Maurya (18) of Kasganj - were arrested soon after the sensational shootout outside the Prayagraj hospital where policemen were escorting the brothers for a medical check-up Saturday night.

The trio was taken from Prayagraj at 12 noon and reached Pratapgarh at 2.10 PM, officials said. It may be noted that one the two remaining sons of Atiq Ahmad is currently lodged in the Prayagraj Central Jail in Uttar Pradesh.

UP Police Constitutes SIT To Probe Atiq Ahmed-Ashraf Murder

Nearly two days after three persons posing as media persons gunned down gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf Ahmed in Prayagraj, the Uttar Pradesh Police constituted two special investigating teams (SITs) to probe the sensational killing incident. 

The first SIT which would be headed by Additional DCP (crime) Satish Chandra has been formed to probe the murder case registered at Shahganj police station, according to an order issued by Prayagraj Commissioner of Police, Ramit Sharma on Sunday. The second SIT has been formed to supervise the first one. This SIT will be headed by ADG Prayagraj Zone Bhanu Bhaskar and would also have Prayagraj Commissioner of Police and Director Forensic Science Laboratory as its members, an order issued by the Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police, RK Vishwakarma on Sunday, said.

Three-Member Judicial Panel To Probe Pryagraj Murders

The state government had on Sunday also announced to form a three-member judicial inquiry committee to probe the murder of Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf Ahmed. The committee will be headed by Allahabad High Court (Retired) judge Arvind Kumar Tripathi, and have two others including retired judge Brijesh Kumar Soni, and retired IPS officer Subesh Kumar Singh. 

Atiq- Ahmed, Ashraf Killled By Three Shooters Posing As Reporters

Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf Ahmad were shot dead by men posing as press persons on Saturday night while being taken for a medical examination in Prayagraj. Both the gangsters collapsed on the spot after they were shot at nearly point-blank range.

UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath soon after the incident took cognizance and ordered to set up a judicial commission in the matter. All three shooters, Arun Maurya, Sunny Singh and Lovelesh Tiwari who killed Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf, have been sent to 14-day judicial custody by the district court on Sunday. On Sunday, the last rites of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf took place at a family graveyard in the Kasari Masari area of Prayagraj. 

Minor sons of gangster Atiq Ahmed were brought to the burial ground from a juvenile home. Atiq Ahmed was accused in the 2005 Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Raju Pal murder case and also in the Umesh Pal murder case which happened in February this year.