Shocking moment Indian gangster-turned-politician is shot dead during live interview
Shocking moment when Indian gangster turned politician and his brother are shot dead during a live interview while being escorted by police
- Atiq Ahmad and his brother were shot dead on live TV as they addressed journalists
- Ahmad was under arrest and was escorted by police during the incident
This is the chilling moment when a fanatical gunman on a mobster turned politician steps up to his brother in India and shoots them in the head.
In the shocking scenes from the state of Uttar Pradesh, Atiq Ahmad was shot dead on live TV when he stopped to talk to journalists.
Ahmad, who had more than 100 criminal cases against him, was under arrest and escorted by police for a court-ordered medical checkup when the incident took place.
This comes just two days after his son, Asad Ahmad, was shot dead by Uttar Pradesh police in what is being viewed as an extrajudicial killing.
The mobster was asked by journalists why he didn’t attend his son’s funeral and just as he replies that he wasn’t allowed to go, a gunman sneaks up behind him, points a gun directly at his head and fires a shot that kills him instantly .
Police officers guard the area where gangster politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf were shot, in Prayagraj, India
Atiq Ahmad (right) and his brother Ashraf were shot dead on live TV as they stopped to talk to journalists
As Atiq falls to the ground, the gunman sprays him with several bullets.
Two other gunmen then opened fire, killing his brother, Ashraf, who had a similar criminal background to his cousin.
A police officer and a journalist were also reportedly injured by bullets.
Amid the shootings, attackers are heard shouting the words “Surrender” and “Jai Sree Ram,” a slogan to praise the central figure of the Hindu religion, as police arrest them.
“All three gunmen have been detained in three different police stations across the city,” a police commissioner confirmed after the attack.
The government of Uttar Pradesh has also ordered a judicial commission to investigate the attack.
Additional police units have been dispatched to the area and are now marching through the city on foot.
Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, where the shooting took place, has been criticized for promoting “encounters,” a term used in his state for extrajudicial killings. He has now assembled a high-level commission to investigate the murder.
In the shocking scenes from the state of Uttar Pradesh, Atiq Ahmad was shot dead on live TV when he stopped to talk to journalists
Two other gunmen then opened fire, killing his brother, Ashraf, who had a similar criminal background to his cousin
A gun is seen on the ground after a police officer and a journalist are reportedly also injured by bullets
Opposition politicians and human rights activists have criticized Adityanath and the ruling party, BJP, for promoting “anarchy and lawlessness.”
“If someone can be killed by open firing amidst the police security cordon, what about the safety of the general public?” Akhilesh Yadav, a former chief minister of the state, tweeted.
“This creates an atmosphere of fear in the audience, it seems that some people create such an atmosphere on purpose.”
Police have imposed a strict curfew and are holding flag marches in the area in an effort to restore law and order.
The three gunmen have been detained at three different police stations while the initial investigation has been completed.