Days after Atiq Ahmed shot dead, Yogi hails UP’s law & order: ‘No mafia can threaten anyone’

Citing numbers, he said over 700 riots rocked the state between 2012 and 2017, while more than 364 riots took place between 2007 to 2012. “But not a single riot broke out between 2017 and 2023, not once was a curfew imposed… because no such situation was created,” the UP CM said.

Last Saturday, Ahmed, a convict in Umesh Pal kidnapping and murder case, and his brother Ashraf were sprayed with bullets by two youths even as they were being taken for a routine check up on foot by armed policemen to Colvin Hospital in Prayagraj around 10.30 at night. The whole shootout was captured live on television with the two brothers answering questions being posed by reporters.

Atiq and Ashraf were in police remand from April 13. It was to end Sunday evening at 5 pm. The shooters and one more associate surrendered to the policemen immediately after firing several rounds using semi-automatic pistols.

This came just days after Atiq’s 19-year-old Asad Ahmed and Ghulam Hussain, 32, were killed in an encounter by the UP Special Task Force (STF) team after they duo were reportedly identified as among shooters who killed advocate Umesh Pal in Prayagraj on February 24

Gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and members of his family had repeatedly sought protection from courts saying they face threats and their lives are in danger.