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Centre mulls SOPs for safety, security of journalists after Atiq, Ashraf shot dead in Prayagraj

ANI
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Centre mulls SOPs for safety, security of journalists after Atiq, Ashraf shot dead in Prayagraj

Taking cognisance of the killing of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj last night, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has decided to prepare Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the safety and security of journalists, top sources said on Sunday. 

The step is being taken after three assailants posing as journalists killed Atiq and Ashraf in Prayagraj, the source pointed out, adding the decision has been taken under the guidance of Home Minister Amit Shah and the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Atiq and Ashraf were shot dead in Prayagraj in full media glare on Saturday night. 

Uttar Pradesh Police on Sunday said the assailants of the jailed gangster and his brother posed as journalists at the scene of the crime. 

“The shooters were posing as journalists. As Atiq reached for a check-up, they were surrounded by other journalists and got close to Atiq and his brother. One was having a camera and was posing as a cameraman. Another was roaming around with a mike on which were inscribed the words NCR News. The third was assisting both,” a police source said. 

“As Atiq reached the hospital, reporters started questioning them after 2 lines, one guy fired on his head from very close and Atiq fell down. Another two guys also threw the camera and mike and started firing,” the source added. 

Atiq Ahmed was accused in the 2005 BSP MLA Raju Pal murder case and also in the Umesh Pal murder case in February this year. 

The shooting that occurred around 10 pm and was caught on camera as media persons were following the handcuffed duo, who were being taken to the hospital by police for a medical checkup. 

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Kapil Sibal has a ‘headmaster’s son’ moment, here is how he tried to whitewash Asad, who killed Umesh Pal in broad daylight

OpIndia Staff
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Kapil Sibal has a ‘headmaster’s son’ moment, here is how he tried to whitewash Asad, who killed Umesh Pal in broad daylight

Days after Asad Ahmed was killed in a police encounter, former Congress leader Kapil Sibal came out in defence of the son of gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed.

While speaking to ANI, Sibal tried to downplay the threat posed by Asad Ahmed to the police. “A young boy (Asad) whose age is 19, how can he threaten the security of the country?” Kabil Sibal inquired.

“If you want to catch him, then hit him on his leg or prosecute him. Why do you want to kill him?” he added. Sibal further expressed hope that the Supreme Court would take suo motu cognisance of the matter.

“The administration must be brought to task if they do not follow the law, as strictly set out by the Supreme Court,” he had stated. Although the ex-Congress leader suggested that Asad Ahmed was just ‘another 19-year-old’ boy, nothing could be further from the truth.

Kapil Sibal and the Headmaster’s son moment

Firstly, Asad Ahmed was the main accused in the murder of lawyer Umesh Pal, who was gunned down in broad daylight on February 24 this year. He was carrying a bounty of ₹5 lakhs on his head.

Secondly, SDPO Prashant Kumar had informed that Asad Ahmed was planning to break his father Atiq Ahmed out of police custody. He was planning to attack the police convoy transferring his father. Asad wanted to execute his plans when Atiq Ahmed was being brought to UP for court hearings. 

When the Special Task Force of the UP Police went to nab him, Asad Ahmed fired shots at them. The cops had to resort to retaliatory firing during which the 19-year-old was neutralised.

Despite being well aware of the facts, Kapil Sibal sought to ignore them, lament the death of Asad Ahmed and insinuate that the deceased was not a security threat. This reminded netizens of a ruse once employed by ‘journalist’ Barkha Dutt to whitewash the sins of terrorist Burhan Wani.

Screengrab of the contentious tweet by Barkha Dutt

“Breaking: Burhan Wani hizbul commander, son of school headmaster who used social media as weapon of war, killed in Anantnag. BIG STORY,” she had tried to garner sympathy for the terrorist after he was neutralised by Indian security forces.

The same playbook to portray a criminal as innocent, is in play again, this time, by Kapil Sibal.

65-year-old Safdar Ali mauled to death by dogs on AMU campus, video viral

OpIndia Staff
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65-year-old Safdar Ali mauled to death by dogs on AMU campus, video viral

On Sunday, April 16, a heart-wrenching video surfaced on social media wherein a man was mauled to death by stray dogs inside the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) campus in the Aligarh district of Uttar Pradesh. 

The deceased victim has been identified as a 65-year-old doctor Safdar Ali who came for a walk at the park at around 6:00-6:30 am in the morning when some stray dogs started barking at Ali and attacked him.

Meanwhile, the City Superintendent of Police, Kuldeep Kumavat, in a video byte tweeted by Aligarh Police informed that the police received information that a dead body has been found on the AMU campus at around 7:30 AM today. Soon after, the police field unit along with a dog squad arrived at the spot. He added that Safdar Ali was a resident of the Civil Lines police station precinct. 

The City SP also added that upon analyzing the CCTV footage of the incident it was found that a group of dogs attacked the victim while he was roaming around, following the attack the victim fell on the ground and possibly died due to the continuous attack by the dogs. However, the victim’s body has been sent for postmortem to ascertain the cause of his death.

“I will be killed in an encounter either by police or by my fellow criminals,” how Atiq Ahmed’s prophetic words came back to haunt him after 19 years

OpIndia Staff
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“I will be killed in an encounter either by police or by my fellow criminals,” how Atiq Ahmed’s prophetic words came back to haunt him after 19 years

On Saturday, April 15, Atiq Ahmed, the infamous Uttar Pradesh gangster with at least 100 criminal charges on him, and his brother Ashraf Ahmed were shot dead in front of the camera while they were on their way for a medical examination in Prayagraj.

Following his murder, a nineteen-year-old statement made by the mafia don surfaced in the media, in which he predicted that he would not die in the usual manner, either the police would run into him or he would be murdered. “Encounter hoga. Ya police maari, ya koi apni biradari ka sirfira. Sadak ke kinare pade milab,” (I will be killed either in an encounter by police or by my fellow criminals) he stated way back in 2004.

The gangster-turned-politician had won five assembly elections from Allahabad West constituency. During his time in politics, he regularly held informal meetings with local journalists where he would speak to them candidly. In one of these meetings with selected reporters, he made a prediction about his death when asked how he saw his demise given that he is also a criminal. 

“Sab ko pata hota hai anjaam kya hona hai. Kab tak taala ja sakta hai, yeh sab (contesting election) iski hi jaddojahad hai,” (As criminals, we all know what awaits us. Every day is a struggle to escape it and postpone the inevitable) he had foresighted.

When it was pointed out that he was contesting an election from Phulpur parliamentary seat from where India’s first prime minister Jawahar Lal Nehru had formerly served as a representative, he had responded, “Pandit ji ki tarah hum Naini Jail me bhi rahe hain. Woh kitab likhe wahan, humein apni history-sheet ki wajah se jana pada tha,” (I have also stayed in Naini jail, like Nehru. There, he penned books and I went because of my history-sheet).

Atiq Ahmed and Ashraf Ahmed were murdered while talking to the media on their way to the hospital. The police arrested three individuals from the spot who surrendered after the killings. However, the state administration suspended several officers due to the incident. Atiq Ahmed apparently once murdered a family member of one of the three assailants.

Atiq Ahmed’s wife Shaista Parveen may surrender before the police today, claims Atiq’s lawyer

OpIndia Staff
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Atiq Ahmed’s wife Shaista Parveen may surrender before the police today, claims Atiq’s lawyer

In just 50 days, mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed’s empire has collapsed. After his son Asad Ahmed was gunned down in an encounter with UP Police Special Task Force (STF) on April 13 in Jhansi, mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were shot dead by three assailants on Saturday night. Now Atiq Ahmed’s wife Shaista Parveen may surrender on Sunday, as per media reports. Shaista Parveen is a co-accused in the Umesh Pal murder case and she could not attend her son Asad Ahmed’s funeral on Saturday.

It is notable that Asad Ahmed who was also an accused in the Umesh Pal murder case was buried at Kasari Masari graveyard. Following Asad Ahmed’s death, rumours were rife that Shaista Parveen, who is absconding, might surrender, however, she did not do so. Parveen also carries a cash reward of Rs 50,000 on her head. 

Meanwhile, Atiq Ahmed’s lawyer Vijay Mishra reportedly said that Shaista Parveen may surrender before the police today. According to sources, she may attend the last rites of her husband and surrender to the police.

It is notable that police have not yet given any such confirmation although searches are being conducted across the state to arrest her and others accused in the Umesh Pal murder. Reportedly, Guddu Muslim, who hurled bombs during the murder, has been nabbed from Nashik.

In the early hours of Sunday (April 16), during a media interaction advocate Vijay Mishra said that Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf Ahmed were being taken for medical examination and as soon as they entered the hospital, gunshots were heard. On the question of delayed action by the police, Mishra said that police acted promptly and nabbed the three assailants immediately who opened fire at the mafia brothers. 

On April 15, the notorious gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed was gunned down by three assailants in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. Atiq and his brother Ashraf were brought to the hospital by the police for a medical check-up when the incident took place. The assassins were identified as Lavlesh Tiwari, Arun Maurya, and Sunny.

Section 144 imposed in Prayagraj, police conduct march

In the aftermath of the killing of Atiq Ahmed and his brother, the Uttar Pradesh government imposed Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) in all districts of the State. A large contingent of police has been deployed to avert any law and order situation.

Arvind Kejriwal, Sanjay Singh summoned in Gujarat University defamation case over ‘Modi degree’ row

OpIndia Staff
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Arvind Kejriwal, Sanjay Singh summoned in Gujarat University defamation case over ‘Modi degree’ row

On Saturday (April 15), a Gujarat court issued summons to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and AAP MP Sanjay Singh in connection to a criminal defamation complaint filed over their objectionable statements about the educational qualification of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

As per reports, the two Aam Aadmi Party leaders have been asked to appear before the court on May 23, 2023. The complaint was filed by the Registrar of the Gujarat University, Piyush Patel, against Kejriwal and Singh for intending to damage the reputation of the varsity through defamatory utterances.

The Court has prima facie found a valid case of defamation against the two AAP politicians after analysing electronic records and recording evidence furnished by four witnesses.

“A normal person can conclude that it is being implied that Gujarat University issues fake and bogus degrees and is associated with fraud activity… This is the prima facie reasoning that can be concluded,” it noted.

The court emphasised, “…Prima facie, targeting Gujarat University, sarcastically, which is an institute established under constitutional provisions… it is obvious that it will taint the university’s image in people’s mind.”

“…Political figures, instead of serving their people, harbour animosity against each other, work directly or indirectly to personally harm the opponent and break the trust of their constituents,” it further added.

The Background of the Controversy

The AAP leaders had cast aspersions on the authenticity of the degree accorded to PM Modi by the Gujarat University. “All the ministers and spokesperson of the BJP have scrambled to prove that the prime minister’s degree is not fake,” Sanjay Singh had claimed during a press conference on April 2.

He further alleged, “If a probe is conducted the prime minister’s degrees would turn out to be fake and his (Lok Sabha) membership will be cancelled.”

A similar remark was made by AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on April 1 during a press conference. He had said, “An uneducated or less educated PM is dangerous for India.”

“It is either because of his ego he doesn’t feel the need to show it to anyone but this kind of behaviour is not valid in a democracy. The other question that arises is that the degree might be fake,” he further claimed.

On March 31 this year, the Gujarat High Court quashed the Central Information Commission (CIC) order issued in 2016 directing Gujarat University to furnish information regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Master of Arts (MA) degree to Arvind Kejriwal. 

The Gujarat High Court on Friday ruled that Prime Minister’s Office is not required to furnish the graduate and post-graduate degrees of PM Modi. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on Delhi CM Kejriwal for seeking the details about PM Modi’s degree certificates. 

“Not scared to visit UP, jab pyaar kiya toh darna kya”: Owaisi after killing of Atiq Ahmed, Ashraf

ANI
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“Not scared to visit UP, jab pyaar kiya toh darna kya”: Owaisi after killing of Atiq Ahmed, Ashraf

Coming down hard on the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh over the prevailing law and order situation in the wake of the killing of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf Ahmed in Prayagraj, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday said it was necessary to prevent radicalisation, adding that he was not afraid to visit Uttar Pradesh. 

Addressing the mediapersons on Sunday morning, Owaisi said, “I have always been saying that BJP in Uttar Pradesh is not running the government by the rule of law but by the rule of gun. Uttar Pradesh’s BJP government has a role in this. Supreme Court-monitored investigation should be done and a committee should be formed. No officer from Uttar Pradesh should be included in the committee. This was a ‘cold-blooded’ murder.” He further said, “I am ready to die… Radicalisation needs to be stopped. I will surely visit Uttar Pradesh, I am not scared. Jab pyaar kiya toh darna kya (why fear death when you are loved).” 
Calling the incident a “cold-blooded murder”, Owaisi added that people who are celebrating this killing are “vultures”. 

“How did they (killers) get those weapons?… Why were they raising religious slogans after killing them? What will you call them if not terrorists? Will you call them Patriots? People celebrating this incident are vultures…” he said. 

Owaisi said the incident raises a big question about the law and order situation. 

The AIMIM chief questioned whether the public will have any faith in the constitution and law and order of the country after this incident. 

He said, “We would like to ask the Prime Minister of the country whether you will say anything or not? The Prime Minister says in his speech that ‘meri supari li gayi hai’. Now tell what is happening in the state from where you are the Member of Parliament. Every citizen of India is feeling unsafe and vulnerable after yesterday’s incident.” 

Owaisi further demanded Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s resignation. 

“I demand the resignation of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the Supreme Court to form a team and investigate this matter. We also demand all police officers present there should be removed from service,” he said. 

“Atiq and his brother were in police custody. He was handcuffed. JSR (Jai Shri Ram) slogans were also raised. The killing of both is the failure of Yogi’s law and order system. Those celebrating encounter raj are also responsible for this murder,” Owaisi added. 
Days after Atiq Ahmed’s son Asad was killed in an encounter in Uttar Pradesh’s Jhansi, the gangster-turned-politician and his brother, Ashraf Ahmed, were killed on Saturday while being taken for a medical examination in Prayagraj. 

Atiq Ahmed was accused in the 2005 Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Raju Pal murder case and also in the Umesh Pal murder case which happened in February this year. UP Police, has, so far, arrested a total of 3 shooters in this incident. 

In the aftermath of the incident, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in a late-night meeting instructed the state police officers to be on high alert and ensure law and order are maintained across the state. 

“UP CM Yogi Adityanath has instructed Police officers to be on alert, ensure peace, law and order are maintained in the state and the public doesn’t face any trouble,” according to the Chief Minister office’s statement. 

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered a high-level inquiry into the matter. 

“CM Yogi immediately called a high-level meeting and ordered a high-level inquiry into the whole matter. Chief Minister also gave instructions for the formation of a three-member Judicial Commission (Judicial Inquiry Commission) in the matter,” officials said. 
Uttar Pradesh government on Sunday imposed Section 144 of CrPC in all the districts, in the aftermath of Atiq Ahmed, Ashraf Ahmed was shot dead in Prayagraj, officials informed. 

Shortly after mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were shot dead in Prayagraj, former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday said crime has reached its peak in the state and the morale of the “criminals” has grown by leaps and bounds. 

“Crime has reached its peak in UP and the morale of the criminals is high. When someone can be killed openly despite being surrounded by a security cordon, one can imagine the state of the general public. Due to this (alleged encounter killings), an ambience of fear is being created among the public. It seems that some people are deliberately creating such an ambience,” Akhilesh Yadav tweeted.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

‘Atiq killed to divert attention from Satyapal Malik’s interview’, usual suspects float bizarre conspiracy theory

OpIndia Staff
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‘Atiq killed to divert attention from Satyapal Malik’s interview’, usual suspects float bizarre conspiracy theory

On April 15, notorious gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were killed by three assailants. The incident happened within hours of The Wire publishing a propaganda interview with former Jammu and Kashmir governor Satyapal Malik in which he made several allegations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Soon after Atiq was killed, TMC leader Mahua Moitra and many others speculated he might have been killed to divert attention from Satyapal Malik’s interview.

In a tweet, Moitra said, “I can even believe BJP got UP shooting done simply to deflect attention away from Satyapal Malik’s interview repercussions. Nothing, just nothing, is beyond this government.”

NDTV reporter Samiran Mishra said, “Atiq Ahmed’s encounter has kicked the Satyapal Malik interview into oblivion. This is 2019 all over again in the banana republic.” However, despite being a journalist, Mishra misled his followers as it was not an encounter.

Congress supporter Shuja Gandhi said, “Don’t get distracted by Atiq Ahmad and Ashraf, focus on Satyapal Malik Ji. They’re trying to divert attention after his exposé.”

JK National Conference leader Umesh Talashi claimed media houses ignored Satyapal Malik’s interview but happily covered Atiq’s murder. He said, “Noida channels lost signals yesterday, otherwise, they would have debated on allegations leveled by #Satyapal_Malik. The bullet shots on Atiq & Ashraf restored the signals.”

Twitter user Avtar Badesha said, “Satyapal Interview exposing Modi Govt role during Pulwama. Diversion – Atiq Ahmad. Indian politics these days.”

Madhya Pradesh Congress leader Aminul Khan Suri said, “What a timing… When Satyapal Malik and Pulwama were catching fire, now the killers entered the tight security and killed Atiq. Godi media which was silent on Malik became super active on Atiq. The killing of a goon is a bigger news than the martyrdom of the soldiers.”

Propaganda magazine Caravan’s Hartosh Singh Bal said, “how do you change the narrative after the Malik interview? nothing is beneath them.”

Interestingly, Twitter user The Skin Doctor had already predicted such tweets soon after Atiq was murdered. He said, “Kal ye chalega. Satyapal Malik ke interview se Modi sarkar ki jadein hil gayi thi isliye usse dhyaan hatane ke liye Yogi se keh-kar Atiq Ahmed aur Ashraf Azeem ka gangwar ke bahane encounter karwaya gaya hai.” It appears the Twitter Army has become too predictable and it is not a “good sign” for them especially when General Elections are less than a year away now.

A different toolkit to blame Hindus for the murder is also active on social media. Details about it can be read here.

Atiq Ahmed’s son Asad and his associate were killed in an encounter a few days back. There were intelligence reports that his son could have attempted to set Atiq free by attacking his convoy to court.

Man who killed Atiq Ahmed was jobless drug addict, wanted to rise in world of crime, says his father, here is what we know about the assailants

OpIndia Staff
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Man who killed Atiq Ahmed was jobless drug addict, wanted to rise in world of crime, says his father, here is what we know about the assailants

A day after gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf was shot dead from point blank-range in Prayagraj, the assassins have reportedly revealed the motive behind their crime.

The assassins were identified as Lavlesh Tiwari, Arun Maurya and Sunny. According to Jagran, the trio informed that they took out Ahmed for killing innocent people.

“Atiq Ahmed use to kill for grabbing land and would not spare those who testified against him. His brother Ashraf was also involved. So, we killed both of them”, they were quoted as saying. The trio also told the police that they killed Atiq Ahmed and his brother over their ties with Pakistan.

According to Jagran, the three assassins initially gave different statements before the police. However, during interrogation, they revealed the actual motive behind the assassination of Atiq Ahmed and his brother.

According to Times Navabharat, Atiq Ahmed and his gang had killed a relative of one of the assassins and they eliminated the gangster-politician to avenge that murder.

As per a report by Times Now, the assassins were small-time criminals who wanted to become famous by killing Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf.

It has also come to light that Sunny, Arun Maurya and Lavlesh Tiwari had previously gone to jail in different cases. The cops are now investigating their modus operandi and their local aides in Prayagraj.

Meanwhile, the father of Lavlesh Kumar told the media that he has no connection with his estranged son. “We have no information about Lavlesh. We are not in touch with him for several years,” he was heard saying. He also said he was jobless. Father of Sunny, Pintu Singh, told news agency ANI that Sunny was also jobless and whiled away his time roaming around aimlessly. He also said that the son lived separately and have no idea how he became a criminal.

Section 144 imposed in Prayagraj, police conduct march

In the aftermath of the killing of Atiq Ahmed and his brother, the Uttar Pradesh government imposed Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) in all districts of the State. A large contingent of police has been deployed to avert any law and order situation.

In a press note, the state government stated, “Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath took cognisance of the Prayagraj incident. He immediately convened a high-level meet and gave instructions that the case be probed.”

“The chief minister also issued instructions that a 3-member judicial commission be set up. All three attackers have been arrested. The police are conducting an inquiry,” it further added. Meanwhile, the police conducted a flag march in the Husainabad area of Lucknow.

Gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf Ahmed were shot dead while being taken for medical examination in Prayagraj on Saturday (April 15) night. Earlier this week, his son Asad Ahmed and aide Ghulam were also neutralised in an encounter operation by the Uttar Pradesh Police.

Stone pelting in parts of Prayagraj after Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf Ahmed shot dead

OpIndia Staff
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Stone pelting in parts of Prayagraj after Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf Ahmed shot dead

In a shocking turn of events, mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf Ahmed were shot dead by three assailants while being taken for medical in Prayagraj. Following this, stone pelting incidents have been reported in certain areas of the Prayagraj district of Uttar Pradesh.

In Chakia, Karbala, Rajrooppur, and Kesaria areas of Prayagraj stones were hurled at the UP Police team as soon as the news of the mafia brothers death reached there. Some ATM machines were also vandalized. Locals reportedly caused a ruckus in Chakia near Atiq Ahmed’s residence. Chakia has been turned into a high-security zone, meanwhile media reports have stated that security around Umesh Pal’s residence has also been beefed up. 

The Uttar Pradesh government imposed section 144 in Prayagraj on Saturday as a precaution and to preserve the state’s law and order situation. Meanwhile, internet services have also been suspended in the district. 

Reportedly, as soon as word of the murder spread, shops along Colvin Hospital Road and in the old city were closed amidst police convoy patrolling. People came out of their homes. People gathered in the streets in large numbers. As a crowd started gathering outside the Colvin Hospital, police chased them away and the gates of the hospital were closed down to stop any outsider from entering. 

On Sunday, April 16, a convoy of District Magistrate and Police Commissioner was seen patrolling in patrolling the area where Atiq Ahmed and Ashraf Ahmed were shot dead at point-blank range by three men posing as journalists during a media interaction on Saturday night. 

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