Fate Comes Full Circle: Atiq's End Came In The Same City He Wreaked Terror On

Indeed, it was strange to see the cold-blooded murder of mafia-don turned politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf on late Saturday evening, even as they were in heavy policy custody.

The shootout was enacted at point blank range by Luvlesh Tiwari, Sunny Singh and Arun Maurya. To arouse unexpected surprise, all of them surrendered before the police immediately after this shootout. 

Many questions are being raised by leaders of various political parties, with each subscribing to one’s own rather narrow and vested interest, particularly with a view to castigate the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government while also keeping in mind the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2024.

Evidently, UP can't be ignored. This is why almost all political leaders in Opposition are focused over each development in the state, lest that may prove advantageous to the ruling BJP government, completing its second term.

This is why they had come out with their reactions immediately after the state police initiated effective action against Atiq’s son Asad and his criminal syndicates involving Gulam, Guddu Muslim and many other accomplices, who executed the daylight murder of BJP leader Umesh Pal on 24 of February, this year.

The killing was recorded on CCTV installed around the crime scene. That helped the state government as well as the police administration to proceed against the gang, including many relatives of Atiq and his wife Shaista as well. 

Asad along with Gulam was killed on 13 April, and two others were killed in separate police encounters during the past 50 days.

There has been much political clamour following the encounter of Asad from expected quarters.

Further, the same leaders allege that the Yogi government has become a law unto itself. What they seem to conveniently ignore is that when there were administrations in power in UP that provided political protection to people like Atiq, there was hardly any law and order and security for the common man in the state.

At the same time, the killing of Atiq and his brother Ashraf under police custody in indeed worrisome and a major failure on the part of state police.

It obviously raises many questions regarding their professional capability and ability to ward off such incidents. It again arouses questions as to why the police team in a large number could not open fire over the shooters to protect both Atiq and Ashraf, though they were armed with powerful weapons. 

Yes, the shoot out happened in the spur of a moment, but the police force is specially trained to face such unforeseen incidents. And this failure looks even more glaring when it is realised that the same force had been exceptionally cautious and vigilant during Atiq’s repeated to and fro journey from Sabarmati jail to Prayagarj and equally so in case of Ashraf being taken from Bareilly to Prayagraj. 

The killing of Atiq and Ashraf will be investigated. The shooters are under the police custody, and investigation by agencies will follow.

Given the four decade-long criminal record of Atiq and his family members and relatives involving murders, extortions, forcible capture of properties and countless other various crimes apart from alleged connections with Mumbai’s underworld don Abu Salem, Pakistan’s secret agency ISI and even few terror outfits therein and also in Nepal, he was bound have many aggrieved enemies waiting for an appropriate chance to settle their score. 

As brought out after his interrogation by the police that he had close connections and proximities with some prominent political leaders, real estate players and few business magnates besides other mighty and high-ups for whom he used to render his services.

Although police encounter is no remedy at all, but sometimes it becomes necessary when a criminal keeps on evading the law.

We all know that many policemen have already given their supreme sacrifice in such police encounters as did two police constables in Umesh Pal’s shootout in their bid to save Mr Pal.   

As evident, when human law fails, destiny assumes its role. Atiq’s many decades-long criminal chapters have come to close a day. And his end came in the same area where his diktat had its unfailing decree during the past many years.