Gangster Atiq Ahmed, Ashraf Killings: Five UP Policemen Suspended For 'Negligence'

In Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj city, five police personnel have been suspended for 'negligence' after gangster-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf were killed on Saturday (15 April) while in police custody.

The duo was being taken to the Prayagraj Medical College for a medical scan, when the shooting took place. 

Among the suspended officers is the Station House Officer of Shahganj Police Station, Ashwani Kumar Singh, along with two Inspectors and two Constable rank officers. UP Police's SIT questioned all four this week.

As part of its investigation, the SIT attempted to recreate the crime scene on Tuesday, reported ANI. The team was focused on determining the number of police officers present during the attack on Atiq Ahmad and Ashraf during their walk to the hospital for a medical check-up.

The investigators aimed to ascertain how many officers attempted to prevent the attack and how long it took to regain control after the killings.

Atiq Ahmad and Ashraf were killed on live TV with Turkish-made guns by three men who showed no intention of escaping.

According to the police, the individuals pretended to be journalists in order to approach their targets and were driven by a desire to achieve fame as the perpetrators of the murders of gangster Atiq Ahmad and his companions.

The three individuals identified as Lovelesh Tiwari, Sunny Singh, and Arun Maurya were sent to four-day police custody and transferred to a different prison due to security concerns.

A three-member team appointed by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's government is conducting a parallel judicial inquiry into the Atiq and Ashraf murders.

Asad, son of Atiq Ahmad, was shot by UP Police's Task Force in Jhanis.

Atiq and Asad were accused of the February murder of lawyer Umesh Pal and two UP policemen in Prayagraj. Umesh was a witness to the 2005 killing of Bahujan Samaj Party lawmaker Raju Pal.