Gangster Sundar Bhati supplied Zigana pistol to Atiq Ahmed's shooter Sunny: Report

Sunny, one of the three shooters in the assassination of gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf in Prayagraj, is believed to have ties to Sundar Bhati, a mobster from western Uttar Pradesh.

As per reports from India Today, the Zigana handgun (a Turkish-made semi-automatic pistol used to shoot Atiq and Ashraf) was purportedly handed to Sunny by Sundar Bhati's group.

Bhati was imprisoned at Hamirpur for about a year and a half. Sunny, who was imprisoned for robbery, is said to have met Bhati at this prison.

Who is Sundar Bhati?

Sundar Bhati is a gangster from Ghanghola village in Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar district. He is charged with over 60 counts of murder, murder attempt, extortion, robbery, and assault.

In 2021, Bhati was sentenced to life in jail for the murder of Harendra Pradhan, 35, in Dankaur, Gautam Buddh Nagar district. He is currently imprisoned at Sonbhadra.

The police, who are investigating the murders of Atiq and Ashraf, have not made an official comment on how criminals like Sunny obtained expensive pistols like Zigana. An internal investigation is currently underway.

According to a senior police officer who spoke on the condition of anonymity, nothing tangible concerning the feud between Sundar Bhati and Atiq Ahmed has surfaced until now.

The police, who are investigating the murders of Atiq and Ashraf, have not made an official comment on how criminals like Sunny obtained expensive pistols like Zigana. An internal investigation is currently underway.

About Zigana

The Zigana is a semi-automatic pistol manufactured by the Turkish firearms manufacturer TİSAŞ.

The pistol was first produced in 2001 and is one of Turkey's first pistols with an original design.

Zigana pistols have a locked-slide short recoil operating mechanism with a modified Browning-type locking system. Furthermore, these pistols also have an automatic firing pin block.

The pistol is used by the Malaysian army, among other places. According to media reports, the price of the firearm is around ₹4 lakh. Additionally, more than 15 rounds can be fired at a time via the firearm.