UP govt should ensure Atiq Ahmed's minor sons do not get killed: SP MP Shafiqur Rahman Barq

Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Shafiqur Rehman Barq said that what happened with Atiq Ahmed was wrong and demanded that the government should guarantee that his minor sons will not face the same fate.

The video of Barq has emerged on social media on Wednesday and he is visibly upset over what happened to Atiq's family. He says, "The way his family was killed (son and brother) the same shouldn't happen with his minor sons and the government should guarantee this."

watch video here:

Who is Shafiqur Rahman Barq?

Shafiqur Rahman Barq, aged 92, is an elected MP from SP who represents the Sambhal constituency. He has been elected to Lok Sabha at various times from Moradabad, most recently in 2019.

Barq made the headlines after taking the oath as a member of Lok Sabha when he declared that Vande Mataram is against Islam and Muslims cannot follow it. He was also criticised for defending the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan and equating it with India's struggle for freedom.

Atiq, Ashraf killing

Atiq Ahmed (60) and his brother Ashraf were shot dead at point-blank range by three men posing as journalists in the middle of a media interaction on Saturday night while police personnel were escorting them to a medical college in Prayagraj for a checkup.

The brothers, both jailed in Prayagraj, were in handcuffs when they were killed in full view of camera crews. The horrifying visuals were circulated widely on social media platforms and television channels. The last rites of Ahmad's son Asad, who was gunned down in a police encounter in Jhansi on April 13, were performed here just hours before the shooting.

An FIR under Indian Penal Code sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) and under the Arms Act was registered against the three alleged assailants of Atiq and Ashraf at Shahganj police station.

On Sunday, these three accused were produced before the remand magistrate who sent them to judicial custody for 14 days. They were initially lodged in Naini jail but were shifted to Pratapgarh prison citing security reasons.

3 accused brought to court amid tight security

The three persons accused of killing gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Mohammad Ashraf were produced in the court of chief judicial magistrate (CJM) here on Wednesday morning.

The court has sentenced four-day remand for the accused in the matter. Police have earlier sought a seven-day remand of the accused.

The three accused -- Lovelesh Tiwari, Mohit and Arun Kumar Maurya -- were brought to the court of CJM DK Gautam amid tight security. They were taken away after an hour-long appearance in the court.