Who was Ashraf Ahmed, Atiq Ahmed's brother shot dead alongside gangster-turned politician in UP's Prayagraj?

Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were assassinated on Saturday while being taken for a medical checkup in Prayagraj, just days shortly after Atiq Ahmed's son Asad perished in an encounter in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh. Atiq Ahmed was charged with murder in both the February 2017 Umesh Pal murder case as well as the 2005 BSP MLA Raju Pal murder case.

Who is Ashraf Ahmed?

One of the seven persons acquitted in the 2006 Umesh Pal kidnapping case was Ashraf Ahmed. Atiq Ahmed and others were found guilty in the kidnapping of Umesh Pal by the Prayagraj MP-MLA Court in Uttar Pradesh, which also gave Atiq a harsh life sentence for the kidnapping of the Umesh Pal.

However, the main suspects in the murder of BSP MLA Raju Pal in 2005 were Atiq Ahmed, his brother, and former MLA Ashraf.  The court found Khalid Azim alias Ashraf, Atiq Ahmad's brother, and six other defendants not guilty. Despite the fact that Ahmad, a former Samajwadi Party (SP) MP, had more than 100 cases filed against him over the years, this was his first conviction.

Around two weeks ago, Atiq Ahmed's brother Ashraf asserted that an officer had threatened to kill him. One of the seven people found not guilty in the 2006 Umesh Pal kidnapping case is Ashraf Ahmed.

Ashraf was moved to the Bareilly jail on March 28, while Atiq was taken to the Sabarmati jail in Gujarat. As he was being transported to Bareilly jail, Ashraf made the threat that he would be released in two weeks and executed.

READ | Who was Atiq Ahmed, mafia-turned-politician gunned down in UP?