Atiq Ahmad’s killers shouted ‘Jai Shri Ram’; identified: What we know

Three killers of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf Ahmad have been detained and identified.

Atiq and Ashraf were shot dead at point-blank range by the three men posing as journalists in the middle of a media interaction on Saturday night while police personnel were escorting them to a medical college in Prayagraj for a checkup.

Who are Atiq Ahmad’s killers?

1. Three people identified as Arun Maurya, Lavlesh Tiwari and Sunny, were detained, people aware of the matter said, but no official statement on their names was issued till the time of going to press.

2. Sunny is a resident Kasganj, Lavlesh Tiwari is from Banda and Arun Maurya belongs to Hamirpur.

3. Sources said initial questioning has revealed that they wanted to rise in the field of crime and therefore committed the crime, but the police are still interrogating them and are yet to provide any details officially.

4. In the shocking videos of attackers that surfaced online, the killers can be heard shouting slogans of “Jai Shri Ram” after killing Atiq and his brother.

5. Briefing reporters about the incident, Commissioner of Police, Prayagraj, Ramit Sharma said the three assailants, who were arrested immediately after the incident, had joined the group of mediapersons who were trying to get sound bites from Atiq and Ashraf.

6. Some reports indicated that they came in the guise of mediapersons with one of them even carrying a mic along with an ID.

7. As journalists questioned Atiq about his questioning in the police custody, he said: “Main baat yeh hai ki Guddu Muslim… (Actually, Guddu Muslim…) ” and was shot dead in the head, even before he could finish what he was saying.

8. One of the journalists who was present on the spot said: “The assailants shouted ‘surrender, surrender’ and threw their firearms on the ground.”