Video Producer: Aparna Singh
Video Editor: Mohd. Irshad Alam
The three assailants who allegedly murdered gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf Ahmed "wanted to wipe out Atiq and his gang and establish supremacy in the criminal circles," according to the First Information Report (FIR) filed in the case by the Uttar Pradesh Police.
Atiq and Ashraf, who were in UP Police custody, were shot dead by three persons, identified as Lavlesh Tiwari (22), Mohit alias Shani Purane (23), and Arun Kumar Maurya (18), on the night of Saturday, 15 April, when the duo were being taken for a medical examination by the police.
All of them have been apprehended.
The shootout that occurred in the presence of the police was caught on live television. The attackers presented themselves as mediapersons before they opened fire at Atiq and Ashraf, the FIR said.
"They were posing as mediapersons for days and were looking for an opportunity to carry out the operation but hadn't found the right time," the FIR stated.
What Else Does the FIR Say?
The FIR says that Atiq and Ashraf "were in touch with members of the ISI and Khalistani elements," and that they were being probed for the same. The duo had agreed to take the police to the locations of where the members were hiding, according to the police.
But since the death of Asad Ahmed, Atiq's son, on 13 April, both Atiq and Ashraf had been complaining of uneasiness. "As their condition worsened a little, it was decided to take them for medical examination [on 15 April]."
"The [police] van was stopped at the main gate, and they [Atiq and Ashraf] hardly had to walk 10-15 steps, for which the police had surrounded them for security. But 2-3 mediapersons breached that cover and managed to get close to both accused."FIR
The FIR further said that since Atiq and Ashraf wanted to give bytes to the mediapersons, the police let them "walk a little ahead of us."
"Suddenly, there were 2 mediapersons, one with a camera and one with a mic. They dropped the camera and mic and suddenly and swiftly took out arms and fired at both. By the time we realised what happened, a third person also started firing," the FIR said.
As there was heavy police presence, all three assailants were captured and their weapons were seized, the FIR said. One of the attackers, Lavlesh Tiwari, was injured in cross-firing.
The FIR stated the "attackers confessed that they wanted to wipe out Atiq and his gang and establish supremacy in the criminal circles." They also confessed to misjudging the police presence on that day, and said they did not expect to get caught.
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