Atiq-Ashraf Killings: SC to Hear Request for Independent Investigation on April 28

Guwahati: The Supreme Court has consented to hear a petition calling for an impartial investigation into the shooting deaths of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.

The Supreme Court will hear the plea on April 28.

Advocate Vishal Tiwari requested an urgent hearing for his case and informed the court that it was due to be listed today in front of a bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud.

Furthermore, advocate Vishal Tiwari filed a petition with the Supreme Court asking for the creation of an independent expert committee to look into the 183 encounters that have allegedly taken place since 2017, according to the Uttar Pradesh Special Director General of Police (Law and Order), as well as the murder of gangster-turned-politicians Atiq and Ashraf while they were in police custody.

Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf were shot dead on April 15 inside the walls of Prayagraj’s MLN Medical College. As Atiq and Ashraf prepared to address the media, the murder was caught live on news channels. As they both fell to the ground, there came the sound of indiscriminate firing.

Arun Maurya, Sunny Singh, and Lovelesh Tiwari, three men posing as journalists, shot Atiq and Ashraf dead at close range while they were participating in a media interview.

Meanwhile, five members of the Uttar Pradesh Police have been suspended due to the killings. Ashwani Kumar Singh, a Shahganj Inspector or Station Officer (SO), two inspectors, and two constables have all been suspended for neglect of duty. The Shahganj police station served as the posting for the five cops. Shahganj Police is in charge of the medical college where Ahmed and his brother were killed.