Lucknow: A former lawmaker held on charges of kidnapping and murder was shot dead along with his brother on Sunday in a dramatic attack that was caught live on TV in in Prayagraj Uttar Pradesh
Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf were under police escort on their way to a medical checkup at a hospital on Saturday night when three men posing as journalists targeted the two brothers from close range.
The men quickly surrendered to the police after the shooting, with at least one of them chanting “Jai Shri Ram,” or “Hail Lord Ram,” a slogan that has become a battle cry for Hindu nationalists in their campaign against Muslims.
One policeman was wounded during the attack, reports said.
Fearing the possibility of violent unrest in the wake of the killings, the Uttar Pradesh government barred gatherings of more than four people across the entire state.
Last week police shot dead Atiq Ahmed’s son in Jhansi city. He had been allegedly wanted in connection to a murder case that was being investigated as part of a wider crackdown into a land mafia operating in Uttar Pradesh.
Police in Uttar Pradesh have killed more than 180 suspected criminals during encounters over past six years.
The head of the opposition Samajwadi Party, said the slaying of his ex-party member while in police custody demonstrated the failure of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party to bring law and order to Uttar Pradesh.
