POLITICIAN Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf Azeem have been shot in India over the weekend, with the shocking moment captured on live TV.

Ahmed was accompanied by the police and was talking to the press when he was shot in the head this past Saturday night.

The BBC reports that after the shots were fired, three men that were posing as journalists surrendered and turned themselves over to the police.

Ahmed was a controversial figure in India, linked to multiple accusations of kidnappings, murders, and extortion cases.

Days earlier, Ahmed’s teenage son was killed by the police.

Read our Atiq Ahmed blog for the latest news and updates…

  • Police reveal details about the gunmen’s attack

    The Associated Press spoke with a police officer that revealed more details about Ahmed’s attack.

    “They managed to reach close to Atiq and his brother on the pretext of recording a byte and fired at them from close range,” said Officer Ramit Sharma.

    “Both sustained bullet injuries on the head.”

    “It all happened in seconds.”

  • Politicians make statements

    Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, decried the “collapse of law and order in Uttar Pradesh.”

  • The shooters’ chants

    The gunmen that shot Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf reportedly chanted a battle cry for Hindu nationalists.

    Al Jazeera reports that at least one of the gunmen was chanting “Jai Shri Ram” at the time of their arrest.

    The chant translates to “Hail Lord Ram,” and has become a slogan against Muslims.

  • More on Asad Ahmed’s death

    Asad Ahmed was found dead on April 13th.

    He and his aide were allegedly shot and killed by the Uttar Pradesh police.

    It’s alleged that Asad and his aide were riding a motorbike in the city of Jhansi and were stopped by the police.

    Asad and his aide were suspects in the death of Umesh Pal.

  • The death of Ahmed’s son

    Days before Atiq Ahmed’s shooting, his son Asad was also murdered.

    Asad Ahmed was 19 years old and was one of Ahmed’s five sons.

    He was killed on the same day that Atiq Ahmed was scheduled in court.

    Atiq learned of his son’s death in court and broke down in tears.

  • Ahmed’s religion and its possible impact on the shooting

    Others claim that these situations shouldn’t be looked at through a “Hindu-Muslim” lens.

    Mahant Raju Das, the head of a temple in an Indian town, also spoke to the BBC and said, “Criminals do not have religion or caste. 

    “I appeal to all politicians to not look at crime through a Hindu-Muslim lens.” 

    He concludes that the shooting was “regrettable” and that it should prompt questions about the law in India. 

  • Some wonder if the shooting was impacted by Ahmed’s religion

    The cause for Ahmed’s killing hasn’t been determined but some wonder if it was influenced by his religion.

    “Many of us are wondering if he was killed because he was a Muslim,” continues the 40 year old man that spoke anonymously.

    “I don’t know if that’s true, but this incident has terrified the city. We deserve better.”

  • The people’s reaction to the shooting

    Various people spoke with the BBC regarding Ahmed’s shooting.

    An anonymous 40-year-old Muslim man said: “How can somebody be killed in front of the media and the police? He was a convicted criminal I agree, but that doesn’t mean he can be shot like that.

    “What about the rule of law?”

  • Ahmed’s career in politics

    Atiq Ahmed was 60 years old and has a career in politics that dates back to 1989.

    He’s been elected five times as a legislator to the state assembly.

    In 2004, Ahmed was elected to parliament.

  • The government has issued an investigation

    The BBC reports that the Uttar Pradesh government has issued an investigation looking into Ahmed’s shooting.

    Lawyers and politicians have spoken about Ahmed’s murder, labeling it as “unacceptable.”

    “Death in custody is bad enough, murder is worse,” said Vikram Singh, the former director general of Uttar Pradesh’s state police.

  • Other injuries at the crime scene

    Ahmed and his brother were the only deaths reported on the crime scene but other people were injured.

    A policeman and a journalist were reported to have sustained some injuries in the scuffle.

  • Ahmed’s last words

    Ahmed and his brother were stopped by the media, with their final moments captured on camera.

    According to the BBC, Ahmed was asked about his son’s funeral and whether he had attended it.

    “They did not take us, so we did not go,” he said.

  • The death of Ahmed’s son

    Last week, Ahmed’s teenage son was killed in Jhansi City.

    He was shot dead by the police and was wanted in connection to a murder case that involved the Uttar Pradesh mafia.

  • Ahmed’s history of crime

    Atiq Ahmed was a controversial figure, having been involved with over 100 criminal cases.

    He was imprisoned in 2019 after being convicted of kidnapping Umesh Pal, a lawyer.

    Pal had testified against Ahmed in the year 2005 when Ahmed was facing charges regarding the killing of a lawmaker.

  • The government’s measures to prevent more attacks

    Following the incidents of Saturday evening, the Uttar Pradesh government has prevented gatherings of more than four people.

    A senior police official said: “The state government imposed restrictive orders after the killings of Atiq Ahmed and Ashraf Ahmed who were members of a large mafia involved in land grabbing and in murder cases.”

    “We don’t want any form of protest to gain momentum.”

  • Suspected shooters disguised as journalists

    Police quickly detained three men suspected of carrying out the shooting.

    One of the suspects surrendered immediately while the other two had to be subdued by the police.

    Ahmed and his brother were on their way to a hospital in Prayagraj City.

  • Shot on live TV

    Cameras captured the dramatic moment when Ahmed and his brother were shot and killed.

    The footage shows the moment when the brothers are surrounded by cameras, and when a gunman points a gun at Ahmed’s head.

    His brother Ashraf Ahmed was then shot.

    They died within minutes.

M.A. Loreto

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