Explained | Who was Atiq Ahmed? Indian gangster-turned-politician shot dead on live TV
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Whatever end of the moral spectrum one finds themselves nestled in, one fact is clear that a gangster who had more than 100 cases lodged against him met a fate that he had predicted long ago. But who was Atiq Ahmed and why did the authorities remain hapless against him all these years?
Atiq Ahmed, the notorious gangster, five-time MLA and once an MP from the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh was killed on live TV along with his brother Ashraf by a gang of three assassins on Saturday night. The incident took place when Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were being taken for a mandatory medical checkup in the Prayagraj district of the state.
No sooner did Ahmed step out of the police car and started addressing the media that three assassins, posing as reporters, took everyone by surprise and pumped bullets into his head from a point-blank range. Before the police could react, several rounds of bullets were fired and Ahmed siblings were lying cold and lifeless on the asphalt. The assassins identified as Lavlesh Tiwari, Arun Maurya and Sunny threw their weapons and were instantly captured by the police.
Though facing criminal charges in myriad cases, Ahmed was brought to Prayagraj from Sabarmati jail in the western Indian state of Gujarat for a hearing in the Umesh Pal murder case. Ahmed and his coterie of gangsters had indulged in the barbaric killing of Pal, who was a key witness in the 2005 Raju Pal murder case in which Ahmed was charge-sheeted.
The killing of Ahmed has divided the public. While proponents argue that the gangster had it coming for his cauldron of crimes had been filled to the brim, the naysayers said it was a win for mobocracy, setting a dangerous precedent as India takes pride in being one of the biggest democracies in the world.
Whatever end of the moral spectrum one finds themselves nestled in, one fact is clear that a gangster who had more than 100 cases lodged against him met a fate that he had predicted long ago. But who was Atiq Ahmed and why did the authorities remain hapless against him all these years?
The Genesis of Atiq Ahmed
Ahmed first made an impression in the crime alleys of Prayagraj (Allahabad as it was known back then) when he was accused of murder at the age of 17 in 1979. In 1983, the first FIR was registered against him and it was his formal foray into the criminal world.
Ahmed remained at large from law enforcement authorities, primarily due to his political connections. He first contested the assembly elections from the Allahabad West seat in 1989 and emerged victorious. He went on to win the MLA election for five consecutive times, switching parties twice in between.
Having tasted power as an MLA, Ahmed took a step ahead and contested the Lok Sabha elections in 2004 on a Samajwadi Party ticket. He fought from Phulpur and secured access to the parliament and became a member of the 14th Lok Sabha. Notably, this was the same seat from where India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru won the general elections, a record three times.
When it was pointed out that Ahmed contested from the same seat, he had this to say, “Pandit ji ki tarah hum Naini Jail me bhi rahe hain. Woh kitab likhe wahan, humein apni history-sheet ki wajah se jana pada tha (I have also stayed in Naini jail, like Nehru. There, he penned books and I went because of my history-sheet).”
By this point of time, Ahmed had amassed significant crime credit. However, it was the killing of BSP MLA Raju Pal that would eventually lead to his downfall and his murder which was broadcast live on primetime TV.
After becoming a Member of Parliament (MP), Atiq left the assembly seat and gave the ticket to his brother Khalid Azim aka Ashraf. However, his opponent, Raju Pal, an OBC candidate, pitched by BSP, managed to defeat Ashraf.
To settle scores, Atiq launched several deadly attacks on Pal before eventually brutally murdering him in the Dhoomanganj area of the city on January 25, 2005. After court proceedings, both brothers were sent to prison but soon got out due to political affiliations.
Atiq's end came just two days after his son Asad Ahmed, accused in the Umesh Pal murder case, was shot dead by the UP Special Task Force (STF) in an encounter in Jhansi.
In one of his meetings with journalists in the early 2000s, Ahmed prophesied that he knew how he would meet his maker.
"Sab ko pata hota hai anjaam kya hona hai. Kab tak taala ja sakta hai, yeh sab (contesting election) iski hi jaddojahad hai (We all know, as criminals, what will be our fate. Everyday is a struggle to escape this ordeal, and delay the inevitable)," he had philosophised.
What next from here?
Rarely has a killing taken place live on camera with an entire country watching on a late Saturday evening and shocked everyone.
It might have been an instant catharsis for people who had been fighting a lost battle against Ahmed for years. As for others, it was another 'normal day' in the reign of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who has been waging a war against criminals and organised crime.
In the meantime, a three-member judicial enquiry committee has been formed to prepare a report on the killing of Atiq and his brother.
Retired Justice Arvind Kumar Tripathi of Allahabad High Court, retired IPC officer Subesh Kumar Singh and retired district judge Brijesh Kumar Soni have been included in the panel and ordered to submit a report to the state government in two months.
(With inputs from agencies)
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