As the visuals of Atiq Ahmed's killing went viral on social media, many had a compelling question in mind - if the visuals were scary enough to send chills down your spine, what would have happened to those who were at the spot?
Ahmed (60) and his brother Ashraf were shot dead at point-blank range by three men, posing as journalists, in the middle of a media interaction.
One of the journalists, Pankaj Shrivastava, who was present on the spot, has now shared a first-hand account of the events that took place out of Prayagraj hospital. The journalist, who works with news agency Press Trust of India, said that many journalists who were at the crime scene suffered minor injuries. "I was at the spot. We were asking questions to Atiq Ahmed when the incident took place. Suddenly, 3-4 men came from behind and started firing. At least 15-30 rounds were fired. One of my colleagues pushed me in order to save my life," PTI journalist Pankaj Srivastava said on camera.
Interestingly, the assailants who killed Ahmed came in the guise of mediapersons with one of them even carrying a mic along with an ID.
VIDEO | "One of my colleagues pushed me down and saved my life": First-hand account of the incident by PTI Journalist Pankaj Srivastava, who was on the spot in Prayagraj. pic.twitter.com/5nADK4mfsX
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 15, 2023
Yogi Adityanath Announces 3-Member Judicial Panel To Probe Incident
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced a three-member judicial commission over the incident. The state has been put on high alert and senior officials, led by Principal Secretary, Home, Sanjay Prasad are rushing to Prayagraj to supervise the situation. Prohibitory orders under section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) have been issued in all districts of Uttar Pradesh to maintain law and order, they said.
Opposition Reaction
Opposition leaders questioned the law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh and demanded that the state government be dismissed after gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf were shot dead in Prayagraj. The "cold-blooded" killings are the "height of anarchy" in Uttar Pradesh, BSP MP Danish Ali claimed.
SP president Akhilesh Yadav said in a tweet in Hindi: "Crime has reached its peak in Uttar Pradesh and the criminals are unfazed. When someone can be shot dead amidst a police cordon, then what about the safety of the general public? An atmosphere of fear is being created among the public due to this and it seems that some people are deliberately creating such an atmosphere." Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Jayant Chaudhary asked if 'jungle raj' prevails in the state.
"Nobody is sympathising with Atiq Ahmad because a criminal should be punished. But anyone who will see this video will question if we are a democracy. Every criminal has the right to be heard in court and be convicted there. But you can see they were killed in police custody in the open," he said.
