New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh government has informed the Supreme Court that it is leaving no stone unturned in ensuring a "thorough, impartial, and timely investigation" into the murder of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Khalid Azim alias Ashraf.
In a status report filed in the Supreme Court, the state government said: “The state is also inquiring into security lapses that may have led to the three attackers getting through the police cordon and firing at Atiq Ahmed and Ashraf. On the basis of prima facie reports from the relevant ACPs, four of the police officers present on the spot and the SHO of Shahganj police station have been suspended pending disciplinary inquiry."
The UP government’s Home Department, in the report, provided details of the background of the incident that occurred on April 15 and the inquiries that have been undertaken into the murders as well as the police encounters of Atiq's son Asad and his associates.
Also, the state government has informed the apex court about the steps being taken for implementation of the report of the Justice B S Chauhan Inquiry Commission formed after the encounter of Kanpur Dehat's gangster Vikas Dubey and his associates. “It is submitted that the state government has taken account of the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry and is taking steps to ensure implementation”, said the report.
The report further stated that the SIT till date has recorded the statements of 78 witnesses including 34 eyewitnesses present at the crime scene. The state government gave a detailed description of how Atiq and his brother Ashraf were brought to Prayagraj from Sabarmati and Bareilly jails respectively for investigation into the murder of advocate Umesh Pal, a witness of the 2005 BSP MLA Raju Pal murder case.
The state government in its report said that media followed the police from the police station to the hospital and both Atiq and his brother were fired upon by three persons, who were disguised as media persons when they were being taken for a medical check-up. All the three assailants were nabbed on the spot, the report added.
After the incident, the state government had formed a judicial inquiry commission headed by former Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court, Justice Dilip Babasaheb Bhonsle, with Justice Virender Singh (former Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court) as Vice-Chairman, and Justice (Retd) Arvind Kumar Tripathi - II (former judge, Allahabad High Court), Subesh Kumar Singh, IPS (retd) (Former DG, UP) and Brijesh Kumar Soni, retired District Judge, as its members. The commission has been granted a three-month extension and is slated to submit its report by September 24.
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On April 15, Atiq and his brother were shot dead in police custody before the media by three assailants disguised as media persons. The state government filed the report in compliance with the apex court's order on April 28, on a PIL filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari.
