Prayagraj/UNI Mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother and former MLA Ashraf were shot dead by unidentified assailants while they were being taken to the Colvin hospital for a regular check-up in police custody on Saturday night, police sources said here.

Police sources said that the assailants said to be two to three in number, shot Atiq and Ashraf from close range while they were being taken for a regular check-up. “Atiq was shot in his head from point-blank range,” they said.

Reports said that the incident took place while they were being taken to the Colvin hospital, sources said that they died on the spot.

Sources said that the assailants fired several rounds even as tight security arrangements were made while taking the duo to the medical college.

While the police claimed that the assailants were nabbed from the spot, sources said that they threw their weapons and surrendered on the spot. Firearms used in the double murder were recovered from the spot, sources said.

Sources said that the assailants came in the guise of media persons and were carrying fake IDs.

It may be noted that Atiq and his brother Ashraf were remanded to four-day police custody on Friday in connection with the murder of Umesh Pal, the main witness in the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Raju Pal murder case.

The report said that a policeman was also injured in the firing, but it is yet to be confirmed by the authorities. Atiq's murder came on the day when his son Assad was buried after being killed in an encounter with the Special Task Force (STF) of Uttar Pradesh Police in Jhansi on Thursday.

It may be mentioned that while Atiq was having around 100 cases against him, including that of murder, extortion and under Gangster Act, around 50 cases were pending against Ashraf. Recently, they were accused in the murder of Umesh Pal, the main witness in Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Raju Pal murder case.

Atiq and Ashraf were brought from Sabarmati jail in Ahmedabad and Bareilly respectively for questioning in the Umesh Pal murder case.

On March 28 Atiq was convicted and awarded life imprisonment by a Prayagraj court in connection with the kidnapping of Umesh Pal in the year 2006.

Sources said that a high-level meeting is being held at Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's residence after the incident.

The meeting is being attended by Director General of Police (DGP) RK Vishwakarma, Special DG (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar, Principal Secretary (Home) Sanjay Prasad and other senior officers, they said.