A Week After Atiq-Ashraf Murder, Prayagraj Residents Still In Shock: 'No Sympathy, But The Way He Was Killed…'
A week has passed since gangster brothers Atiq Ahmed and Ashraf were killed in Prayagraj police custody. Residents have moved on but are still haunted by what they saw on Live TV.
Prayagraj: Arshad Kafi was at his relative’s place for an iftar party when he got to know about Atiq Ahmed‘s murder. He immediately rushed home with his family fearing any untoward incident in the city. The atmosphere had suddenly become “strange”, said Kafi who lives within the 500-metre radius of Colvin Hospital, where the double murder was carried out.
It has been one week since gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Khalid Azim alias Ashraf were shot dead by three assailants impersonating as journalists. The mafia brothers were handcuffed and were answering media queries, as the police were escorting them for a medical examination when it all happened. While the incident had temporarily put the routine lives of people in Prayagraj off track, with Section 144 of the CrPC imposed and the internet suspended, normalcy has returned now. But the incident is still the talk of the town and haunts its people.
Atiq, who had been a five-time MLA who went on to become an MP, was notorious in the town for all the reasons a mafia boss is known for— extortions, kidnappings, murders, and land disputes. This is the reason why most of the people in Prayagraj are indifferent towards the mere fact that he has been killed, but what disturbs them is the way he was killed.
End Of Such People Generally ‘Not Very Good’
Kafi believes “end of such people”, like Atiq and other criminals “is not very good” irrespective of religion.
Voicing a similar opinion, a woman resident who did not want to be named said: “Criminals of all kinds get punished one day or the other.” She said she has “no sympathy” for the slain men.
Ashutosh, another resident, said both Atiq and Ashraf were notorious gangsters and that’s why their killing in this manner was a "shock" to him. “I did not expect that a bahubali (strongman) like Atiq would be in this condition.”
He said the end of the gangster does give relief but does not justify the means as there is this worry what if another one like him surfaces or someone from Atiq’s family decides to take revenge. Ashutosh feared this would “ruin the peaceful city of Prayagraj”.
BB Singh, who retired from government service a few years back, echoed similar concerns. He said history has been that the end of one mafia makes space for another, fearing the shooters who killed Atiq and Ashraf will "go on to become gangsters only". Singh was taking a post-dinner stroll when he heard the news of the double murder and was left “totally perplexed".
“I have met many mafias during my job so they don’t trouble me...but after Atiq’s death, I could sense the sensitive and serious ambience around me,” he added.
While the residents remain largely indifferent to the fact that Atiq is no more, some of them said there was “anguish” among the supporters of the politician and an “internal tension” of sorts within the Gaddi community, associated with cattle farming, to which Atiq belonged.
“The tension is internal, among the people of Gaddi community as they fear many of them can be wrongly picked up and framed” in connection with the incident, a local resident told ABP Live on the condition of anonymity.
Most of the residents ABP Live spoke to said they avoided leaving the house for the next two days after the killings.
Preeti, an interior designer, described the incident as "scary", while Kiriti, a manager in a reputed educational institute in the town, feared tension or “reaction after Eid”, even as she said the state government has so far handled things well and is capable of tackling any untoward situation in future.
Her friend Niharika, a teacher, said she was not surprised by the double murder. “I knew he would end this way only some day.”
What Makes Prayagraj Residents Uneasy
What there is no love lost for the gangster brothers, what the residents are still unable to shrug off is the fact that the dreaded mafia boss, who had also been a lawmaker for over two decades, was shot dead in point blank range on live TV and at a time when he was surrounded by men in uniform.
Mohammad Arif, an advocate in the Allahabad High Court, said a situation of sheer “lawlessness” got a communal colour as the shooters were heard shouting certain slogans, referring to reports of the assailants chanting “Jai Shri Ram” after the murders.
One of the residents quoted above (who did not wish to be named) called it “extra judicial killing” as she questioned why the two men were being taken for a medical examination at night. She said though the incident could incite communal tension, his community did not give a “strong reaction” and reacted “quite maturely”.
Talking about the situation in the city, Ashutosh said there was still an atmosphere of anxiety and tensions, especially in the Muslim-dominated areas. He said the police and people should be on “alert” after Eid.
"Too much anxiety. Everything was scary. The killing of democratic values is not in anyone's interest I’m any sense,” said Preeti, adding that there are some limits that must not be crossed, only then one can sleep peacefully. She questioned the political parties for giving tickets to people with criminal antecedents and making them leaders.
Kafi also called the killings “uncommon”, saying it would have looked “normal” had Atiq been killed by a rival gang.
Advocate Arif said it would have been better if Atiq’s punishment came from court.
Kriti said the police’s role and lapse are “questionable”. She, however, said she doesn’t think there’s anything to fear now.
Talking about how people see the entire incident and if the report of communal angle is true, Ashutosh said it was just the murder of a gangster. “A person like Atiq had thousands of enemies, so it should not be linked to religion,” he added.
Others also labelled him as a "gangster" who worked by putting "humanity at stake". They said his death must not be blamed on religious discrimination.
Declining Clout Of The Once 'Bahubali'
Asked about the “image” Atiq enjoyed in Prayagraj, the woman resident quoted above said it was more of a “bahubali”, the culmination of a gangster and a politician, but even that declined over the period of time with that of his relevance in politics. “We had already got rid of him after political parties maintained their distance from him.”
Another resident also pointed out that his clout had declined in the last 8-10 years, primarily after his brother Ashraf was accused of raping two madrassa girls in 2007.
Speaking of Atiq, Arif said he had an image of a “don”.
Ashutosh said Atiq may have been a “leader”, but people living Allahabad West, his constituency, knew him as a ‘muscleman’, and that everyone was “afraid” of him.
Another person ABP Live talked to, who did not wish to be named, said she had once “met” Atiq, while his wife Shaista would often come with her sister or one of the sons to the jewellery store she worked in.
She said that there never was a “good or positive vibe” from Shaista, and that the atmosphere would become of “slight fear” in their presence. She said whenever Atiq came with his wife to the store, the owner would send the women staff to another floor and only male staff used to deal with them. “He (Atiq) would tell Shaista to take whatever she wanted,” she added. ABP Live could not independently verify her account, but given the reputation Atiq Ahmed enjoyed, this is an allegation few local residents would dispute.
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