Atiq Ahmed shooter Arun Maurya was once part of Asad's WhatsApp group ‘Sher-e-Atiq’, joined Gang-90 later: Report

On Friday, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the death of mafia don Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf Ahmed revealed that one of their assailants, Arun Maurya, was a member of the Whatsapp group 'Sher-e-Atiq' created by Atiq Ahmed's son Asad Ahmed.

As per reports from OpIndia, the revelation is said to have come while the SIT was questioning the three shooters, Arun Maurya, Sunny Singh, and Lovelesh Tiwari.

Group was formed to glorify Atiq Ahmed

The Whatsapp group, according to reports, was formed to glorify Atiq Ahmed. Photos and videos of the feared criminal, as well as stories celebrating his power and clout, were constantly shared on the forum in order to "target politically aware youth in Prayagraj and encourage them to work for Atiq."

The Whatsapp group was created by none other than Atiq Ahmed's son, Asad Ahmed, who was murdered in retaliatory firing by the Uttar Pradesh police Special Task Force on April 13. The WhatsApp group was formed before Umesh Pal's murder. Old footage of Mafia Atiq Ahmed and anecdotes of how he used to terrorise people were circulated in the group.

This group had 56 members from 14 districts. The Sher-e-Atiq group included Asad's friends and members of the Atiq Ahmed gang. The WhatsApp group was deleted a few days before Umesh Pal's murder.

After 'Sher-e-Atiq' was closed down, Maurya joined another group called Gang-90. Through Gang-90, he met co-accused Sunny and Lovelesh.

Atiq Ahmed, brother shot

Atiq Ahmed, a former MP, and Ashraf, an ex-MLA, were shot dead by three gun-toting youths who raised religious slogans while opening fire and handed themselves over to the police afterwards last week.

The brother duo was wanted in a number of serious criminal cases, the most famous of these being the assassination of BSP MLA Raju Pal, who was gunned down in January 2005, barely three months after snatching away Allahabad West seat, a pocket borough of Ahmed, who had won it five times on the trot before getting elected to the Lok Sabha from Phulpur.