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By Arvind Ojha: Atiq Ahmed and his brother were shot dead at point-blank range in Prayagraj late on Saturday evening. Three assailants, who were nabbed shortly after the murder, posed as journalists to be present at the site around stationed police officers before they gunned down the gangster-turned-politician. The accused used Turkey’s Zigana-made pistols which are banned in India, thus raising speculations that they were smuggled or brought here illegally.
The price of these pistols is around 6 to 7 lakh rupees. It is a semi-automatic pistol produced by the Turkish firearm manufacturing company TiSAS. A semi-automatic pistol is a handgun that automatically ejects and loads cartridges in the chamber after each shot is fired.
The range of pistol was first produced in 2001. It is banned in India but is often used by the US Coast Guards, Malaysian Army, and Philippine Police forces. Also, the pistol has a presence in Pakistan’s black market, as per reports. A range of Zigana pistols is also produced in Malaysia in partnership with Turkey.
The three accused reportedly gunned down Atiq and Ashraf in 18 rounds of fire within 40 seconds.
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Former Uttar Pradesh MP and five-times MLA Atiq Ahmed was shot dead on Saturday night while he was interacting with media persons. His brother and he were being escorted by the police to Colvin Hospital for a medical test.
WHO KILLED ATIQ AHMED?
The three accused are in police custody and have confessed to killing Atiq. They have criminal antecedents and the three, at the time of the murder last night, had press ID cards, held a dummy camera, and a mic. They blended with the mediapersons who were on the spot to get reactions from gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf.
The three accused have been identified as Arun Maurya, resident of Kasganj, Lavlesh Tiwari, resident of Banda, and Sunny, resident of Hamirpur.
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Arun was previously involved in a murder case. Because of this, he has not been living with his family for the past five-six years. Lavlesh Tiwari also has a case against him for assaulting a woman. He came out of jail just about six months back. The third accused Sunny has connections with some gangsters.
ATIQ’S KILLERS LODGED IN PRAYAGRAJ
A preliminary probe revealed that the three accused had made their hideout in a hotel in Prayagraj some two days before murdering Atiq.
All three shooters were nabbed immediately by the UP Police following the attack. According to the UP Police FIR, the three shooters said they wanted to kill gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf “to become popular and big gangsters”.
At the time of the murder, one of the accused had brought a bag which was seized.
Atiq was killed the same day his 19-year-old son Asad, who was also wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case, was buried after he was shot dead in an encounter by UP Police STF . Umesh Pal was a key witness in the 2005 murder case of BSP MLA Raju Pal, for which, Atiq had been serving a sentence in Sabarmati Jail.
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