New Delhi: Authorities have said that former Indian politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother were killed by gunmen who appeared to be journalists, live on TV, reported AFP.
Atiq, 61, was convicted of kidnapping but was incarcerated in 2019. As per the television images, he was shot from a close range by gunmen, alongside his brother Ashraf as they were talking to reporters.
Prashant Kumar, a police official, said: “According to preliminary information, three persons posing as journalists approached them and opened fire… The attackers have been held and are being questioned.”
After carrying out the brutal attack, the assailants were chanting Hindu slogans, a TV clip showed.
Police are in the process of identifying the motive of their murder. The press reports note that the killers were “petty criminals”.
Both the dead people were reportedly involved in criminal activities. Atif, a former MP, had more than 100 cases registered against him.
The attack happened when the brothers were being taken to the hospital for their medical check-up under police security.
According to local media, “One of the gunmen was even carrying a television camera and another a microphone with the logo of a television channel.”
The police of Uttar Pradesh said several days earlier that they had shot dead Ahmed’s 19-year-old son and his accomplice in a shootout — wanted in a case of murder.
In recent years, numerous people with registered cases were killed in the state which have been termed as extra-judicial killings by rights groups.
Atiq Ahmed — registered in assault and murder cases —stated in a petition submitted to India’s apex court that his life was in danger from the police.
After the shooting, authorities banned gathering more than four people on Sunday in the state ruled by the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
After the shooting, BJP came under severe criticism from the opposition parties for “ruling by fear”.
Politicians from all the parties across India are facing criminal charges in which Uttar Pradesh is a hotspot.
According to the independent monitoring group the Association for Democratic Reforms, these include nearly half of the government ministers in the state including the state premier.
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