Atiq-Asad murder case: It was all over in 9-10 seconds only, UP government tells SC

Satya Prakash

New Delhi, September 30

The Uttar Pradesh Government has assured the Supreme Court that it will ensure a “fair and impartial” probe into the killing of gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf in police custody in Prayagraj on April 15.

In a status report filed in the top court, the UP Government gave details of what happened on the fateful night when Atiq and Ashraf were gunned down in full media glare while being taken to Motilal Nehru Divisional Hospital, Prayagraj at 10.35 pm on April 15, 2023.

“As soon as the police team had taken a few steps into the hospital premises, the crowd of mediapersons broke through the security cordon and accosted the team to get statements of the accused. Accused Atiq and Ashraf stopped and started speaking with the media persons.

“Suddenly, 2 of the media persons in the crowd dropped their respective cameras and mics, took out state-of-the-art semi-automatic weapons and started firing at the accused. A third purported media person also joined in the firing, and before anyone could react, all 3 persons, evidently disguised as media persons, had shot Atiq Ahmed and Ashraf, who collapsed on the spot. The whole incident lasted around 9 to 10 seconds only,” the affidavit read.

Sworn by Additional Director General, Special Task Force, UP Police Amitabh Yash, the affidavit said the State was leaving no stone unturned to ensure a fair and impartial investigation into the incidents mentioned in the PIL filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari and Atiq Ahmed’s sister Aisha Noori.

After taking into account all the evidence, a chargesheet was filed on July 12 against accused Lovelesh Tiwari, Sunny aka Purano Singh aka Mohit Singh and Arun Kumar Maurya under various provisions of the IPC (including Section 302-Murder) and the Arms Act and the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Prayagraj took cognizance of the chargesheet on July 14, the status report stated.

The status report has been filed in response to the top court’s August 11 order asking it to file an affidavit outlining the stage of investigation/trial in cases specified by the petitioner, and to consider existing reports and recommendations regarding police encounters.

Noting that “someone is complicit”, the Supreme Court had pulled up the Uttar Pradesh Government over the killing of Atiq and Ashraf while in police custody.

“There were 5 to 10 people guarding him (Atiq)… How can someone just come and shoot? How does this happen? Someone is complicit,” a Bench led by Justice S Ravindra Bhat had said.

Ahmed (60) and Ashraf (49) were shot dead by three assailants posing as journalists when the two brothers were interacting with the media while being escorted by police personnel to a medical college in Prayagraj for a check-up on April 15.

The dramatic murders took place hours after the last rites of Ahmad’s son Asad, who along with one of his associates was gunned down in a police encounter in Jhansi on April 13.

While Tiwari demanded a probe by a judicial committee headed by a retired judge of the top court and a committee to probe 183 other “encounters” that took place in Uttar Pradesh since 2017, Noori sought a direction for a comprehensive court-monitored probe into the killing of her brothers.

However, the state government said the sweeping allegations against the State made in the petitions filed by Tiwari and Noori were completely false and unjustified.