Atiq murder case: SIT recreates crime scene; panel conducts probe

The Judicial committee constituted by the Uttar Pradesh govt visited Prayagraj while the Special Investigation Team recreated the crime scene where gangsters Atiq Ahmed and his brother were shot dead

The Judicial committee constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government visited Prayagraj on Thursday while the Special Investigation Team recreated the crime scene where gangsters Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were shot dead on April 15 while being taken to a hospital for medical checkup.

After the killing of the gangsters in police custody, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered a judicial probe into the incident.

Three-member judicial enquiry committee pertaining to the murder of Atiq Ahmed and his brother will give a report to the UP government in two months. The committee will be headed by Retired Justice Arvind Kumar Tripathi of Allahabad HC, including retired IPC officer Subesh Kumar Singh and Retired District Judge Brijesh Kumar Soni.

Days after Atiq Ahmed's son Asad was killed in an encounter in Uttar Pradesh's Jhansi, the mafia-turned-politician and his brother Ashraf Ahmed were killed on April 15 night while being taken for a medical examination in Prayagraj.

Three assailants posing as mediapersons had shot both dead from point-blank range while the gangsters were speaking to the media.

Earlier today, three friends of Lovelesh Tiwari, the main accused in the sensational killing of gangster turned politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf Ahmed, were detained by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) in Uttar Pradesh's Banda.

"The trio were caught at Banda railway station," officials said.

The SIT team has also reached Hamirpur and Kasganj to conduct the further probe, they added.

Uttar Pradesh Police conducted raids in search of Shaista Parveen, wife of Atiq Ahmed, in Kaushambi on Wednesday.

"Raids were conducted in search of Shaista Parveen, wife of gangster Atiq Ahmed. A search operation was conducted after receiving information about some criminals hiding. The operation lasted for about 2 hours. A drone camera was also used in operation. However, the operation did not prove successful today," Samar Bahadur, ASP, Kaushambi told ANI.

Atiq Ahmed was accused in the murder of BSP MLA Raju Pal in 2005, as well as in the killing of Umesh Pal, a key witness in the BSP leader's murder, in February this year.

As many as three people were arrested and identified as Arun Maurya, Sunny Singh and Lovelesh Tiwari.

All three attackers were apprehended at the scene after they voluntarily turned themselves in. They have been kept in the custody of the police and questioned.

A CJM court in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj on Wednesday remanded gangster Atiq Ahmed's killers to four-day police custody.

This comes after the Special Investigation Team filed an application in the court seeking remand for questioning for all three accused.

The district court sent them to 14-day judicial custody on April 16.

During the police remand, the police will question the accused about the weapon they used to kill Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf on April 15 night, where did they get the weapon from and who gave it to them.