406 Criminal Cases, Sunder Bhati Gang Link: Who Are Lavlesh, Sunny & Arun Who Killed Atiq Ahmed
Gangster-political Atiq Ahmed murder accused Lavlesh has 406 cases, Arun Maurya alias Kalia has a murder case against him and Sunny allegedly has Sunder Bhati gang links, according to the latest reports on Sunday. Atiq and his brother were shot dead by the three assailants who were posing as journalists at point-blank range as they were being escorted by the police into a Prayagraj hospital Saturday night for a medical check-up.
Police officers who were escorting the Ahmad brothers during the time of the incident, arrested Lavlesh Tiwari (22) from Banda, Mohit alias Sunny (23) from Hamirpur, and Arun Maurya (18) from Kasganj after they opened fire. Tiwari sustained injuries in a cross-fire, which also resulted in a police officer being hurt, according to news agency PTI.
So who are the assailants and what do we know about them?
Lavlesh Tiwari
Lavlesh has 406 cases of hooliganism and brawl registered against him. Lovelesh’s father works as a driver, and their family resides in a rented house, sources told News18.
Lavlesh Tiwari comes from a family that is very different from him, the report said. A neighbour was cited as saying that the Tiwari family is simple and two of Lavlesh’s brothers are priests, while the other is still a student. However, Lavlesh has been involved in criminal activities and has been to jail multiple times, including in a case of eve-teasing, it read.
The neighbour further claimed that Lavlesh had aspirations of making a big name for himself in the world of crime.
After the incident, Lavlesh’s mother was seen crying as she spoke to the news agency ANI, and said, “Pata nahi uske naseeb mein kya likha tha (Don’t know what was written in his destiny). He was deeply religious and would visit temples regularly for darshans. We have not talked to him since he left the house. His phone was also switched off.”
Lavlesh’s father, Yagya Tiwari, has stated that he is not aware of his son’s actions in connection with the shooting of the gangsters. Yagya claimed that he and his family saw the incident on television and had no involvement in the matter.
According to Yagya, Lavlesh had not been living with the family and was not involved in their family affairs. Yagya also stated that he had not been in contact with Lovelesh for several years. He further revealed that Lovelesh had been jailed previously in a separate case, which is already registered against him.
“He doesn’t work. He was a drug addict. We have four children. We have nothing to say about this,” he added.
According to an official statement released by Special DG (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar, Tiwari faces multiple charges including selling of illicit liquor and allegations of manhandling and harassing women at the City and Beberu police stations in Banda. He has also been charged under the Information Technology Act.
Mohit alias Sunny
Sunny is suspected of having connections with a major gang and was released from jail six months ago. He had left home 12 years ago and was known to have worked for the notorious Sunder Bhati gang.
A neighbour from Kurara, the native place of Mohit, also known as Sunny, told PTI that he had not been living in the area for the past decade. According to the neighbour, Sunny was a regular young man, but his mentality changed after getting involved in a brawl that resulted in him going to jail.
After a few incidents, Mohit left Kurara and was in Hamirpur jail for approximately one year. The neighbor further stated that Mohit had entered the world of crime and had not returned to Kurara since.
According to Pintu Singh, the brother of the alleged shooter Sunny Singh, Sunny had no job and used to “wander around.” Pintu stated that they lived separately and he had no knowledge of how Sunny became involved in criminal activities.
Pintu further claimed that he and his family had no idea about the shooting incident and were not in contact with Sunny.
The Uttar Pradesh police on Sunday said as per the current information available, Sunny is a seasoned criminal and is classified as a “history-sheeter”. He has a total of 14 criminal cases pending against him in Hamirpur, which include charges related to murder, robbery, drug trafficking, and attempted murder.
Arun Maurya
Arun Maurya, also known as Kalia, has been named in more than three criminal cases, including a murder case of a GRP constable in 2014-15 and had served time in jail for his involvement in the murder case, as per reports.
When contacted by the news agency after the shooting incident, Maurya’s neighbours from Kasganj expressed shock. It is learned that the alleged shooter’s parents are no longer alive. According to the neighbours, two of Maurya’s brothers are engaged in the scrap business in Delhi.
Furthermore, the neighbours claimed that no one in the village knew about Maurya’s whereabouts or his activities. He appeared to have left the village around a decade ago, and his current location was unknown to them.
The UP police said the criminal background of Maurya is currently being investigated.
Assailants Wanted to Make a ‘Name for Themselves’ with Atiq Ahmed’s Murder
The police have charged the three men for murder, attempted murder, and violation of the Arms Act. During the investigation, at least two firearms were recovered from the site of the shooting.
According to the FIR, the accused told the police that they wanted to make a name for themselves and establish their identity in the state by eliminating Atiq Ahmad’s gang. However, they were unable to flee the scene due to the swift police action.
One of the accused reportedly admitted to the police that they had been planning to murder Atiq and Ashraf since they learned of their police custody. “Since the time we got to know about the police custody of Atiq and Ashraf, we were planning to murder them. So we posed as journalists and when we got the right opportunity, we pulled the trigger and implemented the plan,” the accused told police.
The three assailants had joined the group of reporters trying to get sound bites from the two gangsters before suddenly pulling out their weapons.
The pistol used to kill Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf was a Zigana pistol made in Turkey, as per reports. This type of pistol is believed to be illegally imported into India through Pakistan.
During the shooting incident, Constable Man Singh sustained an injury to his arm, and a journalist was also hurt after falling during the commotion that ensued following the shooting. These details were reported by PTI on Saturday.
On Sunday, prohibitory orders under section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) have been issued in all districts of Uttar Pradesh to prevent any untoward incident. Internet services have been restored in some parts of the Prayagraj district after they were curtailed last night as part of the security measures.
