Days after three shooters, posing as television journalists, shot down gangster turned politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf Ahmed, the agencies are investigating possible connection between the killers and another jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.
Bishnoi is presently in the custody of National Investigation Agency (NIA) in a case related to international racket of gangsters operating from overseas.
During their course of investigations, it has come to light that one of the attackers, Sunny Singh, had acknowledged that Bishnoi is his role model.
It has also come to light that the trio used Zigana pistols, which are made in Turkey and are banned in India. Incidentally, these pistols were used in the killing of Siddhu Moosewala, the famous Punjabi singer, by members of Lawrence Bishnoi-Goldy Brar gang.
Other similarity that had raised suspicion about the involvement of Bishnoi gang is the style of killing. Police sources said that Bishnoi’s shooters often shoot their target in the head or face. In the killing of Ahmed brothers, the trio of shooters aimed for the heads and faces of Atiq and Ashraf.
Another fact that raised Police suspicion is the fact Bishnoi gang members never fear in shooting in full public view. On Saturday, Sunny, Lavlesh and Arun killed Atiq and Ashraf in front of policemen and media cameras.
Atiq and his brother Ashraf were gunned down while they were being taken for medical checkup in Prayagraj on Saturday evening. The three attackers – Arun Maurya, Sunny Purane and Lavlesh Tiwari – were arrested from the spot.
On Sunday, they were remanded for 14-day judicial custody. But they were not kept in Prayagraj’s Naini Jail as Atiq’s sons and his associates are still lodged in the same jail. The trio were sent to Pratapgarh Jail.
Among them Sunny is a history sheeter and was facing over half a dozen of criminal cases, including cases under the Narcotics Act, Arms Act and Gangster Act. He told the UP police that Lawrence was his role model, although he also said that he never met Bishnoi.
Bishnoi, on the other hand, is lodged in jail for past several years but, surprisingly, he continued to run his ‘empire’ with impunity from behind the bars.
The UP police have already set up two SITs in the investigations for the shootout of Atiq and Ashraf. The UP STF is still trying to nab Atiq’s wife Shaista Parveen and Atiq’s man Friday, Guddu Muslim, who was also involved in murder of Umesh Pal.