The gunning down of gangster Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf in the presence of a huge police contingent, press, and electronic media brings the spotlight back to questions regarding security and protection — a legal right that both the deceased were entitled to.
The brothers were in police remand, which was due to a judicial order. Given that security was provided in the police station where they were being interrogated and effective barriers were in place to ward off unwanted or nosy agents, the breach remains unexplained.
Atiq and Ashraf were handcuffed— presumably with due permission from the court and following standard operating procedures as laid out in DK Basu vs West Bengal case.
For the Cops: How Could They Allow This Right Under Their Nose?
The first question is for the Uttar Pradesh Police: Why did they not ensure foolproof and fail-proof security, something they were obligated to provide?
Why were Atiq and Ashraf even allowed to meet and address the press when they had gone for a medical examination, especially when tight security was absent in the premises of Prayagraj's medical college. The three men who posed as the press and fired from point-blank range, why were they not neutralised whilst nearing Atiq and Ashraf?
All three shooters surrendered, and were immediately overpowered. The weapons were recovered, and so were the empty cartridges. They were carrying heavy caliber Zygon Turkish pistols that have a 15-shot magazine— also a staple weapon of the US Coast Guards, and the police in the Philippines and Malaysia.
The three-member high-powered committee constituted to inquire into the whole incident, serves little purpose unless exemplary action is taken, especially against the senior officers in the police department who were in-charge of safeguarding Atiq and Ashraf.
It has also been reported that of the three assailants, one of them is a druggie and the other associated with the noted gangster Sundar Bhati. They do not belong to an affluent class either to have procured weapons that are both exclusive and expensive. Even the two-wheelers and the fake press IDs are cost-intensive. This leads to the second question, who's financing them?
For the Netas: Who Stands to Gain From the Murder?
Who stands to gain from the murder of these two gangsters? What message is being sent to the people? When I say the message, I also mean the slogans of Jai Shri Ram that were chanted after the murder was executed.
The background and ramifications cannot be ruled out either. Atiq may have stashed away his money with some politicians and builders investing in Uttar Pradesh. He was apparently in touch with some gunrunners in Punjab, who got the weapons and drones from Pakistan and the Inter-Services Intelligence. They probably got wind of the fact that National Investigation Agency(NIA) may take over the matter after media reports about Atiq confessing his association with Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Hafiz Saeed and smuggling weapons, surface.
Incidentally, the pistol used to kill Atiq and Ashraf was also used in the murder of Sidhu Moosewala in Punjab. Obviously, this matter is too convoluted to be investigated shoddily or superficially and needs an in-depth investigation, taking into account if there were prospects of triggering a communal frenzy, discomfort in revelation of details, and potential cover-ups.
These may give motive for someone wanting Atiq and Ashraf dead for good. The three assailants claimed that they committed the murders only to establish their name and reputation as gangsters in Uttar Pradesh. That is a very unconvincing stand, to say the least. The preparation for the act and mental makeup of the killers hint at a larger secret that can only be revealed after an airtight police investigation.
One would expect that all those who contributed in the security lapse that led to the killings would be taken to task in an exemplary manner. All three accused must be interrogated thoroughly using all the scientific aids that are available to the investigative teams, like narco analyses and lie detector tests. The entire nexus of businessmen, politicians, and criminals in the state needs to be exposed.
(Dr Vikram Singh is an Indian educationist and retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer. He joined the IPS in 1974, and held the post of Director General of Police in the state of Uttar Pradesh from June 2007 to September 2009. This is an opinion piece, and the views expressed are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses, nor is responsible for them.)
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