Former Indian Lawmaker And Brother Fatally Shot Dead On Live TV

In a dramatic incident that was shown live on television in northern India, a former Indian Lawmaker who had been charged with murder and assault in addition to being convicted of kidnapping was shot dead alongside his brother.

On Saturday night in Prayagraj City, Uttar Pradesh, three men acting as journalists opened fire on gangster-turned-politician; Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf Ahmad while they were being escorted by the police on their way to a hospital for a checkup.

After the shooting, the men promptly turned themselves in to the police. One of them was heard shouting “Jai Shri Ram” or “Hail Lord Ram,” which has become a rallying cry for Hindu nationalists in their fight against Muslims.

India’s ruling Hindu-nationalist Bhartiya Janata Party is in charge of Uttar Pradesh. According to police officer Ramit Sharma, the three attackers rode motorcycles and pretended to be journalists.

“They managed to reach close to Atiq and his brother on the pretext of recording a byte and fired at them from close range. Both sustained bullet injuries on the head. It all happened in seconds,” Mr Sharma said.

On social media, a number of videos from the incident on Saturday went viral. As the brothers were being carried to the hospital, it was first broadcast live on regional TV channels as they spoke to the reporters.

In the video, a gun can be seen being drawn not far from Atiq Ahmad’s head. His sibling is shot as he falls to the ground.

After the two guys collapsed to the ground, the attackers are seen firing at them repeatedly in the footage.

Atiq Ahmad (60) was sentenced to prison in 2019 after being found guilty of kidnapping Umesh Pal, a lawyer who had testified against him as a witness in the 2005 murder of a lawmaker.

Pal was also killed in February.

Atiq Ahmad’s teenage son and another man, who were both charged with Pal’s murder, were both slain by police on Thursday in what is being referred to as a gunfight.

According to media sources, Atiq Ahmad had requested protection from the Indian Supreme Court two weeks prior, claiming that state functionaries in the state of Uttar Pradesh posed an “open, direct, and immediate threat to his life.”

However, the court decided against getting involved and instructed his attorney to contact the nearby state court.

Atiq Ahmad served as a state member for four terms before being chosen in 2004 from the Phulpur constituency in Uttar Pradesh, which had previously been represented by Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister.

In the late 1980s, he was one of the first politicians from Uttar Pradesh to face prosecution under the strict Gangster Act after being the subject of more than 100 criminal prosecutions.

The lawmaker also used to give many needy families cash assistance and promoted a Robin Hood image among his primarily Muslim constituents. However, he was also criticized for using his political influence to create a syndicate that participated actively in the real estate market, allegedly engaging in forced property seizures and other crimes.