"If ruling forces inculcate habit of ignoring Constitution..." Sharad Pawar on Atiq Ahmed's killing

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 18 : Days after gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were killed while in police custody in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said if ruling forces inculcate the habit of "ignoring the Constitution and law, the country will go down the wrong path".

Speaking at an Iftar party in Mumbai, Pawar said, "A country runs as per the Constitution and law. If ruling forces inculcate the habit of taking steps by ignoring the Constitution and law, we will go down the wrong path...If taking steps by forgetting law and Constitution and by taking law into hands is spoken of and if attempts are made to create such an atmosphere, it is not right for the nation..."

The veteran leader's remarks came after the gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother, Ashraf Ahmed, were killed on Saturday while being taken for a medical examination in Prayagraj.

Both the gangsters collapsed on the spot after they were shot at nearly point-blank range.

The brothers were killed days after Atiq Ahmed's son Asad was killed in an encounter in Uttar Pradesh's Jhansi.

The district court sent the three shooters, Arun Maurya, Sunny Singh and Lovelesh Tiwari to 14-day judicial custody on Sunday.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Tuesday took cognizance of the killings of gangster turned politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashra from point-blank range in "police custody" and issued notices to the Uttar Pradesh's Director General of Police, and Prayagraj's Commissioner of Police.

NHRC has asked the State police to submit the report within four weeks. Preliminary results of an autopsy conducted on Atiq Ahmed's body suggested that the gangster was shot at least eight times with bullet injuries found in his head, neck and chest.

The autopsy report had further said that the gangster siblings collapsed on the spot after they were shot at nearly point-blank range.

Atiq Ahmed was accused in the 2005 Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Raju Pal murder case and also in the Umesh Pal murder case which happened in February this year.

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