‘He is a drug addict’: Father of killer Lovelesh Tiwari who shot Atiq Ahmed, his brother Ashraf
The father of one of the shooters who shot Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf on Sunday claimed that his son was a drug addict and the family did not mean anything to him. Lovelesh Tiwari is among the three shooters who opened fire at Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf when they were being taken for medical checkups in Prayagraj on Saturday. The other two shooters were identified as Arun Maurya and Sunny Singh.
Today, Yagya Tiwari, father of shooter Lovelesh Tiwari, said: “We have no information about how he reached there and we didn’t mean anything to him…He is a drug addict…We don’t know anything about him.”
Sunny Singh’s brother Pintu Singh said there were cases registered against the former. “He did not do anything for a living. I was not aware that my brother is involved in the killing of Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf,” he said.
India Today reported that the Prayagraj Police received important clues during the interrogation of the shooters. The murderers had taken a hotel to stay in Prayagraj and they had been staying in the hotel for 48 hours. The police were currently investigating the hotels where the shooters stayed. There was still a possibility that the belongings of the other murderers were in the hotel. Raids have been underway on the hotels since morning, the report said.
Atiq and his brother were shot dead at point-blank range by three shooters posing as journalists in the middle of a media interaction on Saturday night while police personnel were escorting them to a medical college in Prayagraj. The brothers, both jailed in Prayagraj, were in handcuffs when they were killed in full view of camera crews around 10 pm.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered a high-level probe into the killings. 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. “Prohibitory orders have been issued in all districts of the state,” Director Information Shishir said.
Briefing reporters in Prayagraj, Commissioner of Police Ramit Sharma said that the three assailants, who were arrested immediately after the incident, had joined the group of media persons who were trying to get sound bites from Ahmad and Ashraf.
“As per mandatory legal requirement, Atiq Ahmad and Ashraf were brought to the hospital for medical examination. According to preliminary information, three persons posing as journalists approached them and opened fire. Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf were killed in the attack. The attackers have been held and are being questioned, ” Sharma said.
In the incident, Constable Man Singh suffered an injury to his arm, and a journalist was hurt after he fell during the commotion that followed the shooting, the officer said.
Today, Sanjay Prasad, Principal Secretary to UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, was called to the CM’s office for a report on the whole incident. The CM also requested a report regarding the status of other districts in Uttar Pradesh. Media advisor Mrityunjay Kumar and other officials were also summoned to the CM Yogi Adityanath’s office.
(With inputs from PTI)
