Atiq Ahmed murder captured on national television

As convicts Atiq Ahmed and Ashraf were being taken by police on Saturday night, mediapersons approached them for comments on gangster Asad's burial. Three men from the crowd gunned down the gangsters. The police stepped back as the assailants rained bullets on the dead bodies. The gangsters were killed in a hail of bullets while being for a medical examination in Prayagraj.

Prayagraj: Gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed was speaking to the media while walking with handcuffs on for his medical examination at Prayagraj. He met his death while responding to a question about not being able to attend his son, Asad's funeral on Saturday.

Atiq Ahmed, the most dreaded gangster whose name grabbed headlines ever since the Umesh Pal murder case took place was walking along with his brother Ashraf Saturday night post 10 pm. He was accompanied by his brother Ashraf. A video journalist asked him about his reaction on not being able to attend his son's funeral.

Atiq said, "Nahi le gaye to nahi gaye (they did not take us, so we did not go)". He started with another sentence, "Main baat ye hai ki Guddu Muslim.... (the thing is that Guddu Muslim...) when a person who was posing as a journalist shot him point blank at his forehead. Atiq fell to the ground. When his brother walking just next to him turned in shock, he was met with a volley of shots. The camera turned towards Ashraf who fell dead soon after.

People started fleeing from the scene as more shots could be heard. One of the shooters who was captured by the police was seen firing at someone on the ground with the police trying to prevent him from doing so from behind. Chants of Jai Shree Ram was also heard soon after the murder, the footage of which was aired on national television throughout the night.

Atiq Ahmed was convicted by a Prayagraj court in the Umesh Pal murder case. He was sentenced to life imprisonment. His son Asad was shot dead in a police encounter earlier this week. Last month, in a statement before the media Atiq Ahmed feared being shot dead in an encounter while he was about to be shifted to Prayagraj for a court hearing from Sabarmati Central Jail.

Atiq Ahmed's murder has invoked the sharpest criticism from various opposition leaders who have questioned the Yogi government on the 'law and order' situation in the state where criminals chanting Jai Shree Ram can go scot-free. The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister has ordered a three-member judicial commission to probe the killing.