MHA to prepare SOPs for scribes as 3 men posing as journalists kill Atiq, Ashraf

NEW DELHI: The Centre will prepare standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the safety and security of journalists after three assailants, posing as media persons, shot dead Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf in Prayagraj.

The SOPs will be taken up by the Ministry of Home Affairs, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, sources confirmed.

The killing, which jolted the nation late on Saturday evening, was carried out in the presence of heavy Uttar Pradesh Police deployment when the gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and Ashraf were being escorted to a medical college for an examination.

It is pertinent to note that the murder was caught by lenses and the accused had identified themselves as media persons to stay in the surrounding at the time of the duo’s arrival. They were shot dead at point-blank range by three men, who were nabbed shortly after, while both Atiq and Ashraf were speaking to reporters. The police were present at the site and were escorting them to the medical college then.

Atiq was killed the same day, his 19-year-old son Asad, who was also wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case, was buried after he was shot dead in an encounter by UP Police STF on Thursday. Umesh Pal was a key witness in the 2005 murder case of BSP MLA Raju Pal, for which, Atiq had been serving a sentence in Sabarmati Jail.