Shooters confessed they killed Atiq, Ashraf to make a mark in the underworld: Report

The killers came disguised as mediapersons and opened fire at Atiq and his brother Ashraf near Colvin Hospital in Prayagraj where they were being taken for a regular check-up.

Atiq and Ashraf collapsed on the ground immediately as the assailants fired several rounds despite tight security arrangements around the medical college hospital.

According to the UP Police FIR, the three shooters said they wanted to kill gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf “to become popular and big gangsters,” India Today reported.

The shooters, when questioned by the UP Police about their intentions, revealed that their primary motive was to gain notoriety in the criminal underworld by assassinating Atiq and Ashraf.

They had been planning to carry out this act since learning about the duo's custody and had posed as journalists to gain access to them. Finally, they were able to carry out their plan on Saturday.

The police arrived at the medical college at 10:35 pm with the Atiq and Ashraf, and as they walked towards the college, they were surrounded by the media. After taking just 15-20 steps, they stopped to give a statement to the media.

According to the First Information Report (FIR), when Atiq Ahmed and Ashraf began speaking to the media, one of the shooters dropped his microphone and camera, then grabbed his pistol and fired at them. In the ensuing crossfire, a constable named Mann Singh was shot in the hand, and one of the attackers was also hit by his accomplice's gunfire.

Subsequently, the shooters dropped their loaded weapons, and a few of the journalists who were present at the scene sustained minor injuries. Atiq and Ashraf were immediately taken to the hospital, where they were declared dead.

According to the FIR filed by the UP Police, Atiq Ahmed had received arms that were dropped by Pakistani drones in Punjab. Atiq was known to be a leader of the IS 227 gang, and he had a criminal record. His brother Ashraf was also an active member of the same gang.

In a statement, Atiq claimed that he had connections with the Pakistan-based terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), and that he had received arms that were dropped by a Pakistani drone in Punjab.

Atiq and Ashraf also claimed that they knew the address of the person who had delivered those arms, but they were unable to locate it while they were in jail.

However, they said that they would be able to identify the location if they were taken there. The UP Police FIR stated that the arms used in the murder of Umesh Pal were received from the same person who had provided the address.

On April 14, the police attempted to question Atiq and Ashraf, but they were unable to obtain much information as the two were in shock over the death of Asad.

The following day, on April 15, the police found pistols and cartridges that had connections to Pakistan and were used in the murder of Umesh Pal. An FIR was filed against Atiq and Ashraf under the Arms Act for possession of these illegal weapons.