LUCKNOW: The special investigation team (SIT) formed to probe the killings of gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf has sought the remand of three assailants on Tueday. The SIT moved to the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate on Tuesday day with its plea for custody.
Atiq and Ashraf were shot dead at point-blank range by three men posing as journalists on Saturday night while police personnel were escorting them to a medical college in Prayagraj for a check-up.
The three assailants -- Mohit alias Sunny of Hamirpur, Lavlesh Tiwari of Banda and Arun Maurya of Kasganj -- are presently in Pratapgarh jail and would be produced before the CJM court on Wednesday. All three are currently placed under a 14-day judicial remand.
Hearing the SIT’s application, CJM Dinesh Kumar Gautam directed the police to produce the three accused in the court on Wednesday. The court said that adequate security arrangements must be ensured for them while being brought from the jail to the court.
Having recorded the statement of the three accused with the permission of the court, the SIT is now seeking their custody remand to collect evidence as part of the investigation into Atiq-Ashraf double murder. On Tuesday evening, the police inspected all the routes leading to the CJM court to plan the security set up for bringing the three accused from Pratapgarh jail.