Former Indian MP shot dead live on TV amid murder probe

A disgraced former MP and his brother have been shot dead live on TV, as the alleged assailants posed as journalists.

Former Indian MP Atiq Ahmed and his brother were killed live on air. Picture: BBC

A former Indian MP and his brother have been shot dead live on TV, allegedly by two assailants posing as journalists.

Disgraced politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were in police custody as they faced murder and assault charges.

On Saturday night, they were taken for a routine medical examination in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, in the north of India, under heavy police guard.

But as they walked from the vehicle into the hospital, surrounded by around 12 police officers, waiting journalists approached them, BBC reports.

Atiq Ahmed, right, and his brother Ashraf, are shown walking into the medical facility while being filmed by news crews. Picture: BBC

Video footage taken by some of the news crews show the pair walking into the medical facility as they are asked questions by the reporters.

Suddenly loud shots ring out as both men then fall to the ground.

The camera then swings around to show a man holding a gun.

Three men have been taken into police custody. They were named as Luvlesh Tiwari, Sunny and Arun Maurya, The Times of India reports.

It is alleged that two of the men were shooters and one was an associate, police said.

A journalist and a police officer were also injured in the attack.

Prayagraj police commissioner Ramit Sharma confirmed that both Atiq and Ashraf had died and that three people had been taken into custody for the crime.

“[Atiq and Ashraf Ahmed] were brought to the hospital as per mandatory legal requirements and doctors have pronounced them dead,” he said.

“One journalist of a news agency fell and was injured while trying to run for cover, while a constable, Man Singh, suffered a gunshot wound to the hand and was being treated in hospital.”

As several loud bangs were heard, Mr Ahmed fell to the ground. Picture: BBC

The footage showed a man holding a gun. Picture: BBC

Final words captured on camera

The killings come after the former MP’s son, Asad, as well as another man – who were wanted in connection with a murder case – were killed earlier in the week during a police “shootout”.

In the footage, just before Mr Ahmed was shot, he is asked by a reporter if he attended his son’s funeral.

He replied: “They did not take us, so we did not go.” They were his final words.

Mr Ahmed served as an MP in the Indian region of Uttar Pradesh from 2004-2009. He had been in jail since 2019.

He had a total of 103 criminal cases against him while his brother had 53 cases against him.

They had been brought to Prayagraj for questioning over the murder of lawyer Umesh Pal.

The lawyer and his police gunners were sensationally shot dead in broad daylight on February 24.

Mr Pal was a witness in a 2005 murder case in which Mr Ahmed was the main accused.

Mr Ahmed recently asked the Supreme Court for protection, saying there had been threats made against his life, Indian Express reports.

The court reportedly told him: “The state machinery will take care of you.”

So far, six people linked to the Umesh Pal case have ended up dead. The others are reportedly on the run.