NEW DELHI: Atiq Ahmed, a former Indian politician convicted of kidnapping, was shot dead during a live television talk with his brother.
Atiq Ahmed, who was being escorted by police and was facing murder and assault charges, was speaking to journalists when he was shot in the head. According to local media, three men acting as journalists surrendered and were arrested following the gunfire. Cops had recently killed Ahmed’s adolescent teenage son.
Ahmed earlier alleged that the police were a danger to his life. Ahmed and his brother, Ashraf, were seen speaking to the media on their way to a nearby hospital for a medical check-up only seconds before they were shot.
Earlier this week, in what was described as a shoot-out, police killed Atiq Ahmed’s teenage son Asad and another man wanted in connection with a murder probe.
In the video, Ahmed was asked if he attended his son’s funeral, and his final words to the camera were, “They did not take us, so we did not go.” According to local media, the three men disguised as journalists surrendered shortly after the shooting.
A police officer and a journalist were both injured on the site, according to officials. Ahmed, a former member of Parliament, and his brother were arrested and transferred to Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, where Ahmed was accused of murder and assault.
He was sentenced to prison in 2019 after being convicted of abduction. The Supreme Court of India refused to hear his petition last month, in which he claimed the police constituted a threat to his life. The BJP, which governs Hindu-nationalist Uttar Pradesh, and opposition parties condemned the killings as a security lapse.
The police in Uttar Pradesh have killed over 180 people on various charges. Opposition parties allege that there was a scary atmosphere. The state administration condemns extrajudicial executions, while human rights activists accuse police of carrying them out.
