Five police officers have been suspended over the killings of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj on April 15.
Among those suspended are senior Shahganj police officer Ashwani Kumar Singh, two inspectors, and two constables. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the murders questioned the cops yesterday.
The five officers were posted at the Shahganj police station. The medical college where Ahmed and his brother were murdered comes under the jurisdiction of Shahganj Police.
The former MP and his brother were shot dead by three men, identified by the police as Lovelesh Tiwari, Sunny Singh and Arun Maurya. They came posing as journalists and shot Ahmed and his brother at point-blank range while they were speaking to reporters in Prayagraj.
Earlier today, the killers were sent to four-day police custody by a Prayagraj court. The three will be produced in court again on April 23.
The special probe team recorded statements from the three men and will recreate the crime scene as part of the investigations.
The killings were caught on camera as journalists with mics were following the two brothers who were being taken to the hospital for a medical check-up. The attackers, all in their twenties, shouted "Jai Shri Ram" slogans before being overpowered by the police.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear a petition seeking an independent probe into the killings of Ahmed and his brother. The petition, headed by a retired Supreme Court judge, will be heard on April 24.
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