Atiq Ahmed’s killers were jobless drug addicts, say kin

Banda (Uttar Pradesh):  After gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were shot dead in Prayagraj in full media glare on Saturday night, the father of one of the assailants on Sunday said his son was jobless and a drug addict.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Yagya Tiwari (father of Lovelesh, one of the arrested shooters) said, “He is my son. We saw the incident on TV. We are not aware of the actions of Lovelesh nor do we have anything to do with this. He never lived here and neither was he involved in our family affairs. He did not tell us anything. He came here five to six days ago. We have not been on talking terms with him for years. There is already a case registered against him. He was jailed in that case.” “He doesn’t work. He was a drug addict. We have four children. We have nothing to say about this,” Yagya Tiwari added.

Meanwhile, speaking to ANI, Pintu Singh (brother of shooter Sunny Singh) said, “He used to wander around and did no work. We live separately and dont know how he became a criminal. We have no idea about the incident.”

Days after Atiq Ahmed’s son Asad was killed in an encounter in Uttar Pradesh’s Jhansi, the mafia-turned-politician and his brother Ashraf Ahmed were killed on Saturday while being taken for a medical examination in Prayagraj.

Atiq was accused in the murder of BSP MLA Raju Pal in 2005 and also in the subsequent killing of Umesh Pal, a key witness in the BSP’s leader’s murder, in February this year.

All three assailants were arrested, informed police after Atiq and his brother were shot dead.

“Three people have been arrested and they are being questioned. A journalist was also injured as he fell down and a constable sustained a bullet injury,” Prayagraj Police Commissioner Ramit Sharma said earlier.

UP CM Yogi Adityanath also ordered the setting up of a three-member judicial commission to probe the incident.

“UP CM Yogi Adityanath took cognisance of the Prayagraj incident. He chaired a high-level meeting and ordered a high-level inquiry into the matter. The CM also ordered the formation of a three-member Judicial Commission (Judicial Inquiry Commission) in the matter,” an officer said.

A forensic team also reached the scene of the incident and collected samples.

Moments before their killing, the slain gangster siblings, who were accused in the Umesh Pal murder case, were speaking to the media while being taken for a medical and their murder was captured on camera.

” Nahi le gaye to nahi gaye (they did not take us, so we did not go)” were Atiq Ahmed’s last words, when asked what did he have to say on not being taken to his son Asad’s burial.