A former lawmaker and his brother were shot to death on live television while under police escort in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
Atiq Ahmad, a former Indian lawmaker convicted of kidnapping and facing murder and assault charges, was killed Saturday along with his brother after three men posing as journalists approached and shot them, Indian authorities announced, according to CBS News.
“They managed to reach close to Atiq and his brother on the pretext of recording a byte and fired at them from close range. Both sustained bullet injuries on the head,” police officer Ramit Sharma told reporters, per CBS. “It all happened in seconds.”
Atiq Ahmad and brother shot dead by three men, shootout captured live on TV https://t.co/AugpmJ957C
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After the attack, the suspects surrendered to police, reportedly chanting “Jai Shri Ram,” or “Hail Lord Ram,” an expression Hindu nationalists have adopted in their campaign against Muslims and other minority groups within the country, the outlet reported. (RELATED: Indian State Bans Islamic Schools, Opposition Says The Move Aims To ‘Wipe Out Muslims’)
Atiq Ahmad had been elected as a state lawmaker multiple times and also served in India’s Parliament from 2004 to 2009. For his Muslims constituents, Ahmad was a “Robin Hood” figure, known for financially helping many poor families within the community, CBS noted.
The state of Uttar Pradesh has been governed by India’s ruling Hindu nationalist Bhartiya Janata Party since 2017. In the six years the party took power, over 180 people facing criminal charges have reportedly been murdered in what rights groups have called extrajudicial killings by police, the outlet stated. On Thursday, Ahmad’s teenage son was shot to death by police, per CBS.
After Ahmad’s public killing, Indian authorities enacted a series of restrictive measures, banning assemblies of four or more people across all of Uttar Pradesh and limiting internet access for individuals within the city of Prayagraj, where the incident took place, CBS reported.