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By Poulami Kundu: The three had press ID cards, held a dummy camera and a mic. They blended in seamlessly with the mediapersons eager to get reactions from gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf.
Atiq and Ashraf, in police custody, were being taken for a medical examination on Saturday in Prayagraj. They stopped to respond to questions.
It was exactly then that the first shot was fired.
The killing of Atiq and Ashraf was like no other. High-profile targets, killed right in front of cameras. A gangster, who struck fear in the hearts of people in Uttar Pradesh, was lying in a heap. Shot dead at point-blank range.
Using Zigana pistols (a semi-automatic pistol produced by a Turkish firm), they fired over a dozen rounds in just 22 seconds, killing Atiq and Ashraf on the spot. In presence of a police team.
But who are the killers who managed the unthinkable? And what was their motive.
During interrogation, the shooters revealed that they planned the attack to make it big in the world of crime. They reached Prayagraj, stayed at a local hotel for two days and recced the area, too.
They did manage to create a bang. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 was imposed in all districts of Uttar Pradesh and additional forces were deployed in Prayagraj and neighbouring districts.
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After shooting dead Atiq and Ashraf, the three gave themselves up. Police nabbed the three attackers and lodged an FIR against them.
According to the FIR, the moment Atiq Ahmed and Ashraf started talking to the media, one of the shooters dropped his mic and camera and picked up his pistol, and fired at them.
In the cross-firing, one of the constables was shot in the hand and one of the attackers also got shot in his accomplice’s cross-firing. After that, the shooters dropped their loaded weapons. Some of the journalists, who were covering the incident, also received minor injuries.
All the shooters are from Uttar Pradesh and have been identified as Arun Kumar Maurya alias Kalia from Kasganj, Lovelesh Tiwari, a resident of Banda, and Mohit, alias Sunny Singh, from Kasganj district.
ALSO WATCH | 3 men who shot Atiq, Ashraf identified
SHOOTERS REVEAL MOTIVE
When asked about their intention, they revealed that their main purpose was to make their mark in the crime world by killing Atiq and Ashraf. They also revealed that ever since they got the information of Atiq and Ashraf remand they planned the murders, masquerading as media journalists and they got the opportunity on Saturday.
CRIMINAL HISTORY OF SHOOTERS
All three shooters have cases lodged against them at various police stations of the state. Arun was allegedly involved in a murder case and had not been living with his family for the last 5 to 6 years. Sunny has approximately 14-15 cases registered against him and Lovelesh has a case of slapping a girl against him.
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ABOUT THEIR FAMILIES
Shooter Arun is a resident of Baghela Pukhta village and his father’s name is Hiralal. Arun had fled his village after murdering a police officer at a GRP station. His parents passed away fifteen years ago.
Sunny alias Shooter Shani Singh is a resident of Kurara town in Hamirpur district. There are 15 cases registered against him and he has been on the run for the past five years. His parents have passed away.
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Lovelesh Tiwari is a resident of the Kyotra area in Kotwali city. His father said that he didn’t care about them, and he used to come home sometimes. He arrived in Banda 5 to 6 days ago. He had been jailed for a case in the past. Shooter Sunny Singh had not visited his home for the past 10 years and his parents were no more. Sunny Singh had three brothers, one of whom has died and the other brother, Pintu Singh, lives at home and runs a tea shop.
REACTIONS OF FAMILY MEMBERS
The mother of one of the assailants, Lovelesh Tiwari, on Sunday said her son had a religious side to him. Asha (mother of the arrested accused Lovelesh) told ANI, “Pata nahi uske naseeb mein kya likha tha (Don’t know what was written in his destiny).” “He was deeply religious and would visit temples regularly for darshans. We have not talked to him since he left the house. His phone was also switched off,” his mother added, turning emotional. Earlier, on Sunday, Lovelesh’s father said his son was jobless and a drug addict.
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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.
The brother of one of the shooters, Sunny Singh, told media that he wasn’t aware about his brother’s involvement in the killings. Sunny’s brother, Pintu, said, “There are cases registered against my brother. He did not do anything for a living. I was not aware that my brother is involved in the killing of Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf.”
(With inputs from Arvind Ojha, Nahid Ansari, Siddhartha Gupta from Banda, Ayendra)
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