Prayagraj: A video depicting the brutal shooting of Atiq Ahmad and his brother in the Prayagraj district of Uttar Pradesh has emerged, in which the assailants can be heard shouting 'Jai Shri Ram' while carrying out the attack.
Another video shows three individuals shooting the brothers while police attempt to intervene. The three men have been identified as Arun Maurya from Hamirpur, Lavlesh Tiwari from Banda, and Sunny from Kasganj. The footage is disturbing and graphic.
Atiq Ahmad, a former criminal and current politician, and his brother were being interviewed by the media when they were targeted and shot at close range. The attack was broadcast live on Hindi news channels. The perpetrators disguised themselves as journalists, with one even carrying a microphone and identification card. During the interview, Atiq Ahmad was being questioned by reporters about his police custody and started to say, "Main baat yeh hai ki Guddu Muslim... (Actually, Guddu Muslim...)", but he was shot in the head before he could complete his sentence. The footage is disturbing and graphic.
The father of one of the assailants, Lovelesh, who fired bullets at Atig Ahmad, a gangster-turned-politician, and his brother, has stated that his son was both jobless and a drug addict. The other killer has been identified as Sunny Singh.
According to Yagya Tiwari, the father of Lovelesh, he and his family were not aware of Lovelesh's actions in the shooting incident involving Atiq Ahmed and his brother. Tiwari stated that Lovelesh never lived with them and was not involved in their family affairs.
Tiwari also mentioned that Lovelesh was not communicative with them and had not spoken to them in years. Tiwari revealed that there was already a case against Lovelesh and that he had been jailed for it. Tiwari added that Lovelesh did not work and was a drug addict and that he had nothing further to say on the matter.
Similarly, Pintu, the brother of Sunny, told ANI that Sunny used to roam around and did not have a job. Pintu mentioned that they lived separately and had no idea how Sunny had become involved in criminal activities. Pintu also stated that they had no knowledge about the incident.
Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were shot dead by the two youths while being escorted by armed policemen for a routine check-up on foot to Colvin Hospital in Prayagraj around 10.30 pm Saturday. The entire shootout was broadcast live on television, with the two brothers responding to questions from reporters.