In a dramatic killing shown live on television, a former Indian MP convicted of kidnapping and facing murder and assault charges was assassinated alongside his brother.
Atiq Ahmed, a former MP serving a life sentence in prison, and his brother Ashraf Ahmed were in police custody outside a hospital in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, when three men opened fire on them from close range as they received questions from reporters. The two brothers died instantly.
According to police officer Ramit Sharma, the three assailants arrived on motorbikes dressed as journalists, carrying camera equipment, a microphone with a television network logo, and phony journalist IDs.
The shooting occurred just days after Atiq’s son, Asad Ahmed, 19, and an accomplice, who were both accused of a recent murder, were slain by police in a gunfight.
Atiq Ahmed, 60, was sentenced to prison in 2019 after being convicted of kidnapping. He served as a municipal legislator four times and was elected to India’s Parliament in 2004. He was reportedly involved in over 100 legal proceedings.
In recent years, more than 180 persons facing charges have been killed in Uttar Pradesh in so-called “police encounters,” which human rights groups say are frequently extrajudicial murders.
In the video, which has gone viral on social media and television, Ahmed is questioned if he attended his son’s funeral.
“They did not take us, so we did not go,” was his response and his last words to the cameras before he was killed.
According to authorities, the three suspected perpetrators arrived at the scene on motorcycles. At the scene, a police officer and a journalist were also injured.
Following the event on Saturday night, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered a judicial investigation into the killings and banned big gatherings in the state’s districts to preserve calm.
Experts have questioned how a guy could be murdered in front of the media and police.
