A “drug addict” whose brothers are now priests, a child who ran from home. This is how two of the three men who killed gangster-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf are remembered by their neighbours and families.
The young men told police they carried out the audacious attack Saturday, while the brothers were being escorted by police for a medical check-up, because they wanted to make a name for themselves in the world of crime.
The alleged assailants, Lavlesh Tiwari (22) of Banda, Mohit alias Sunny (23) of Hamirpur and Arun Maurya (18) of Kasganj, were arrested by policemen accompanying the Ahmad brothers.
Tiwari was injured in the cross-fire, which also hurt a policeman. The assailants posed a TV crew and fired at almost point-blank range.
A Banda resident, who did not want to be named, told media persons that Tiwari’s family was unlike the rogue son, whom he also described as a “drug addict”.
“His family has been our neighbour. The family is simple. Two of his brothers are priests while one is still studying. Lavlesh has been into crime and has been to jail several times. He has also gone to jail in an eve-teasing case earlier,” he said.
“He had ambitions to earn a big name in the world of crime,” the neighbour claimed.