Live Broadcast: Ex-Politician and Brother Murdered in India
Former politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf Ahmed were shot and killed during a live broadcast while they were being taken to the hospital in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh state, in India. The brothers, who were sentenced to life imprisonment for kidnapping, were under police protection and handcuffed at the time of the attack. The footage showed the attackers shooting the brothers in the head at close range before firing bullets.
Before the attack, Atiq Ahmed was asked whether he attended the funeral of his son, who was shot dead by the police a few days earlier. His last words were "They didn't take us, we didn't go." The three men responsible for the attack, who disguised themselves as journalists, surrendered to the police and claimed they committed the crime to become famous.
A police officer and a journalist were also injured in the attack, and after the murder, mass rallies and protests were banned in the state of Uttar Pradesh. An investigation has been launched into the murder.
Atiq Ahmed was a former gangster who turned to politics and was elected as a member of parliament for five consecutive terms in Allahabad since 1989. However, he faced nearly 100 criminal cases, including kidnapping and murder, and has been in prison since 2008. He was sentenced to life imprisonment on 28 March for his involvement in the abduction of Umesh Pal in 2006.
The tragic incident has sparked widespread outrage and condemnation in the country.
