Atiq Ahmed: Criminal, Politician, Businessman?
Who was Atiq Ahmed? Watch our latest video and learn about this criminal mastermind and his family of crooks.
You already know that Atiq Ahmed and his brother were shot dead by 3 men right in the middle of police security and the media. ISH News had released a video about it earlier. If you have missed watching the video, you can watch it here on this link : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuTnwY0BxDQ
Amidst all these happenings and chaos, Section 144 has been imposed in Prayagraj (Allahabad) and even the internet services were shut down for a while. According to the police, criminal cases have been registered in the past, against two of the three arrested — 22-year-old Lavlesh Tiwari and 23-year-old Sunny Puraney.
The third — 18-year-old Arun Kumar Maurya — was booked for possession of illegal weapons in Haryana in February 2022. Police arrested all the 3 shooters on the spot. The police seized their bike from the spot and are also checking the CCTV footage installed at the crime scene and nearby areas. The guns which were used in the act are sophisticated ones and made in Turkey. Each cost more than Rs 6 lakhs, and are banned in India. Now, after the shooting, several questions are being raised about how the men got so close to Atiq and his brother and how they were able to get such expensive guns which are banned in India. Usually, ordinary criminals use country-made pistols which are cheaper and of an inferior quality.
According to the investigators, the three attackers said that they wanted to become popular by finishing off Atiq and his gang. Investigators said the killers heard Atiq’s lawyer on TV that Atiq hadn’t been keeping well and would be taken to Colvin Hospital on 15th April 2023 for a medical check-up. The shooters told the police that the moment they heard about the visit to the hospital, they planned to dress up as local journalists, blend with the media team and shoot them at the first opportunity. Vijay Mishra, the lawyer of Atiq Ahmed and Ashraf Ahmed said that his clients knew that they would be killed. He said that while being taken from Prayagraj to Bareilly, Ashraf was told by a cop, “Iss baar bache ho lekin 15 din mein jail se nikaal ke kaam tamam kar denge. Ashraf didn't reveal the cop’s name but he said that if they were murdered, a sealed envelope will reach the Supreme Court and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.” Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on raised a series of questions like why were they taken at 10pm for medical check up? Why was it open to the media? How did the men get illegal weapons costing over 6 lakhs? Another suspicion is that the three shooters are from three different cities. There isn’t anything to prove that they have worked together as a team in the past, unless the police have some information which is not yet disclosed. It is also not known how the three met, discussed, and concluded that Atiq Ahmed was their target. It is also surprising that the killers did not make an effort to flee. Dramatically, they raised their hands and shouted that they were surrendering. They did not show any trace of nervousness. The shooters were too organized. Uttar Pradesh Government formed two Special Task Forces of three members each to investigate the matter.
New information about Atiq’s family has also come to light. Before Asad and his accomplice were killed, reports say that they planned to attack the vehicle in which Atiq Ahmed was being transferred. They say that they did not want to help Atiq escape but they wanted to create an embarrassment for the UP Government by attacking the police convoy.
Sources also say that in February this year, during a meeting when Ashraf Ahmed and Atiq Ahmed were in Bareilly jail, they planned to kill Umesh Pal, and he was killed 13 days later. Police said that during interrogation, it has also surfaced that Atiq’s wife Shaista used to arrange SIM cards and mobile phones whenever she used to visit Atiq and Ashraf. Atiq said in his statement to the police, "Using WhatsApp and FaceTime calls, we remained in touch with our gang. He said that this time, they had planned to first kill bodyguards of Umesh Pal and then him," Eight of Asad Ahmed's associates were present at the meeting, as per report. According to police sources, the meeting was set up in cooperation with prison officials, and there were no CCTV cameras present either. One of his five sons was recently killed in a police encounter, two are in jail, while two sons are in a juvenile home. His wife, Shaista, and sister, Noorie, are reportedly hiding and police are on the lookout. His relatives are scared to confess any ties to him or his family. Shaista is a police officer’s daughter. Reportedly she had written a letter to UP CM stating that a minister and the police have planned to kill Atiq. A crackdown on Atiq and his associates by the Uttar Pradesh Police discovered that he had built illegal properties in Prayagraj, Kaushambi, and other districts.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) also confiscated his properties worth Rs. 1,400 crore and assets worth Rs. 108 crore linked to money laundering involving 50 shell companies. Reportedly, the ED probe focused on one lawyer, Atiq's accountant, a real estate developer, an ex-BSP MLA, a builder, and the owner of a car showroom. They allegedly played key roles in his "illegal businesses," which were linked to the black money business network. Meanwhile, CM Yogi Adityanath said, “Uttar Pradesh was notorious for riots. Just the names of many districts scared people. Now there is no need to be scared. No mafia or criminal can threaten industrialists in Uttar Pradesh anymore.” Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf have been buried in Prayagraj at the same graveyard where his son was buried.
