The Supreme Court on Friday questioned the Uttar Pradesh Government why gangster-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf were paraded before the media while being taken to hospital for a medical check-up in police custody in Prayagraj.

The top court, which was hearing a plea by advocate Vishal Tiwari seeking an independent probe into the killing of Ahmad and his brother Ashraf, also asked the UP Government how the killers got the knowledge that they were being taken to hospital.

“How did they know? We have seen it on TV. Why were they not taken to the ambulance right from the entry gate of the hospital? Why were they paraded?” a bench of Justices S Ravindra Bhat and Dipankar Datta asked senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, who appeared for the UP Government.

Rohatgi informed the bench the State Government is probing the incident and has constituted a three-member commission for this. A UP Police special investigation team is also investigating the matter, he said.

“This man and his entire family have been embroiled in heinous cases for the last 30 years. This incident particularly is a gruesome incident. We have apprehended the killers and they said they did this to gain importance,” Rohatgi said.

“Everyone saw the killings on the television. The killers came in the guise of news photographers. They had passes, were carrying cameras, and were even carrying identity cards that were later found to be fake. There were 50 people there and more people outside. This is how they managed to kill,” Rohatgi told the bench.