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Shooters got idea to pose as media persons from Gogi gang: SIT probe into Atiq-Ashraf murders
The Gogi gang gave foreign-mad guns to Sunny with instructions to kill Tillu Tajpuria. Jitendra Gogi asked him to go near Sunil posing as a media person and also provided a dummy camera and mike to Sunny. But, Sunny fled Delhi with all the equipment when Gogi was shot dead in a gangwar in 2021
PRAYAGRAJ Sunny Singh, 23, one of the three shooters involved in the killings of gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Khalid Azeem aka Ashraf, confessed that gangster Jitender Mann Gogi from Delhi-NCR, who was shot dead in a courtroom in the National Capital in December 2021, had once asked him to shoot a person by posing as a media person.
After Gogi’s death, Sunny had fled from Delhi with the Turkish pistol he got from him and implemented the idea of posing as a media person for killing Atiq and Ashraf on April 15 night, using the same handgun. This emerged during the SIT’s questioning of Sunny during the four-day police custody of the three assailants that ended on Sunday, said a senior police officer.
Officials said Jitendra Gogi gang had enmity with the gang of mafia Sunil aka Tillu Tajpuria. The Gogi gang gave foreign-mad guns to Sunny with instructions to kill Tillu Tajpuria. Jitendra Gogi asked Sunny to go near Sunil posing as a media person. He also provided a dummy camera and mike to Sunny. However, Sunny fled Delhi with all the equipment and pistols when Jitendra Gogi was shot dead in a gangwar at a court in Delhi’s Rohini in 2021.
Sunny Singh was already in contact with the other assailant (of Atiq) Arun Kumar Maurya, 18, of Kasganj. He later came to Banda where he met Lavlesh Tiwari, 22, the third assailant). The trio then decided to kill Atiq and Ashraf to make a name for themselves in the crime world and earn money, added officials.
During questioning, Arun Maurya said they first reached Lucknow from Chitrakoot and stayed in a hotel where Sunny and Lavlesh disclosed their plans. Arun agreed to be part of the plan and eliminate Atiq and Ashraf. They then watched TV news channels and observed media persons to be able to pose as them.
Further questioning from the trio revealed that Sunny had a Turkish Zigana pistol with 13 rounds while Lavlesh used a Girsan pistol with 11 rounds in the magazine. Assailant Arun had a Munger-made local pistol with 10 rounds.
During the incident, Lavlesh first shot Atiq in the head from point blank range, as was seen in the purported video of the killing, while Sunny shot Ashraf from behind. The duo fired at least 24 shots. Arun was trapped amidst media persons and could fire only four shots, revealed the interrogation.
