Prayagraj, April 17
Gangster Atiq Ahmed was shot at least eight times with bullet injuries found in his head, neck and chest, preliminary results of an autopsy conducted on his body after his sensational murder that was caught on news cameras outside a hospital in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj on April 15.
The shootout took place late on Saturday outside the hospital where police had taken them for a routine medical check-up. Both the gangsters collapsed on the spot after they were shot at nearly point-blank range.
According to sources, the initial postmortem report detailed that Atiq was shot eight times and Ashraf five times. The duo was shot at by three miscreants posing as mediapersons and who were later caught by the police. “Out of the eight bullets that Atiq was shot, one bullet hit his head, one bullet hit his neck, one bullet each on his chest, stomach and waist,” sources said.
Both Atiq and Ashraf were buried on April 16 at the Kasari Masari burial ground in Prayagraj.
According to the initial post-mortem report, Ashraf was shot in his neck, back and waist in which the bullets pierced his body and went past him.
Police are awaiting a detailed report of the autopsy, sources said.
Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government has ordered a high-level inquiry into the murders and directed a judicial probe. Uttar Pradesh police authorities have announced the formation of two special investigating teams (SITs) to probe the sensational killings.
The committee will be headed by Allahabad High Court (Retired) judge Arvind Kumar Tripathi, and have two others including retired judge Brijesh Kumar Soni, and retired IPS officer Subesh Kumar Singh.
The first SIT which would be headed by Additional DCP (crime) Satish Chandra has been formed to probe the murder case registered at Shahganj police station, according to an order issued by Prayagraj Commissioner of Police, Ramit Sharma on April 16.
The second SIT has been formed to supervise the first one. This SIT will be headed by ADG Prayagraj Zone Bhanu Bhaskar, and would also have Prayagraj Commissioner of Police and Director Forensic Science Laboratory as its members, according to an order issued by the Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police, RK Vishwakarma on April 16.
On Sunday the three shooters- Arun Maurya, Sunny Singh and Lovelesh Tiwari involved in the killings were sent to 14-day judicial custody by the district court .
Atiq Ahmed was accused in the 2005 Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Raju Pal murder case and also in the case of murder of Umesh Pal which happened in February this year.
