UP: 3 accused of killing Atiq, Ashraf produced in court, police seek 7-day custody

Police took the three accused in the Atiq-Ashraf murder case - Lavlesh, Sunny and Arun - from Pratapgarh jail to Prayagraj and produced before the CJM court there. Tight security is being provided considering the threat perception to their lives. They shot dad gangster Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf on late last Saturday night.

Pratapgarh (Uttar Pradesh): The three persons accused of killing gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Mohammad Ashraf were produced in the court of chief judicial magistrate (CJM) here on Wednesday morning. Police have sought a seven-day remand of the accused. The three accused -- Lovelesh Tiwari, Mohit and Arun Kumar Maurya -- were brought to the court of CJM DK Gautam amid tight security. They were taken away after an hour-long appearance in the court, District government advocate Gulab Chandra Agrahari said.

On Tuesday, the District Magistrate and the Superintendent of Police took stock of the arrangements after a surprise inspection of the district jail. During this, the officers instructed the jail administration to make adequate security arrangements. It was being speculated since Tuesday that the SIT team could reach Pratapgarh anytime. The Prayagraj police reached Pratapgarh district jail at around 6.30 am on Wednesday. Here at 8 o'clock, the Police left for Prayagraj with all three.

All three accused in the Atiq and Ashraf murder case were kept in the lonely barracks of Pratapgarh District Jail. On Monday, all three were shifted from Naini Jail to Pratapgarh Jail following security considerations. A lonely barrack is a barrack, whose length and width are very less compared to normal barracks. In this barrack, prisoners and criminals, who are more dreaded and of criminal nature only, are kept. It is different from the barracks of a normal prisoner.

The prisoners living in lonely barracks are provided food and drink in the barracks themselves. Apart from this, contact is severed between the accused living in these barracks and other prisoners lodged in the jail. Also, it is considered more secure than other barracks. Significantly, on Saturday late evening in Prayagraj, the three accused shot dead the mafia don, Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf, in police custody. All three had surrendered themselves on the spot.