TV viewers watched in shock as Atiq Ahmed, a former Member of Parliament in India,  was assassinated along with his brother while being escorted to a medical checkup by police. The incident was captured live on national television and quickly spread across all media channels and social media platforms.

The April footage shows the killer reaching over the shoulders of police officers and pointing a gun at Ahmed’s temple as he was talking to journalists. As the gun went off, Ahmed’s turban flew off, and his brother Ashraf was shot moments later. A gunman can be seen in other footage repeatedly firing at the brothers’ bodies as they were on the ground.

According to several local media reports, three suspected gunmen were posing as journalists. The Uttar Pradesh government has ordered a thorough judicial investigation into the killings. The men were reportedly leaders of a local criminal organization involved in murder and land-grabbing. Ahmed’s son had been killed in Jhansi City only a week earlier. He had been wanted in connection with a murder case that was part of a larger crackdown on a land mafia in Uttar Pradesh.

The slaying of Ahmed while in police custody highlighted the challenges facing law enforcement authorities in the region. It also underscored the deep-rooted criminal activities that continue to plague many parts of India. The state government banned gatherings of more than four people in the area, fearing that the assassinations might cause violent unrest.

Ahmed had been a Member of Parliament with the Samajwadi Party before losing the election in 2014. The head of the opposition criticized the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s inability to establish law and order in the state.

The assassination was a tragic event that sent shockwaves across the nation. The killers’ audacity in carrying out such a brazen attack in broad daylight, in the presence of police officers, was a cause for concern for law enforcement agencies. The judicial inquiry into the killings is expected to shed more light on the events leading up to the assassination and the identities of those involved.