Prayagraj: The Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing the killing of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Khalid Azim alias Ashraf, has started screening passenger lists of all flights that landed in Prayagraj between April 12 and April 15. On April 12 the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had conducted raids at premises owned by Atiq and his associates while on April 15 Atiq and Ashraf were shot dead.
Besides, all calls made during the period in the city, specially in Shahganj locality where the killings took place, are being scanned.
Police said all arrival/departures of suspected persons, who were in the city during the said period, were being scanned to find out whether the three assailants had any links in the city or other parts of the country.
The police, apart from compiling the family background and criminal details of all the three accused — Lavlesh Tiwari, Mohit Singh alias Shani and Arun Maurya — have also obtained the details of the calls made by them in the past one month.
ED teams had carried out raids in Prayagraj and neighbouring Kaushambi district as part of an ongoing money laundering investigation against Atiq and those associated with him. The raids were carried out at over a dozen locations, including Civil Lines, Khuldabad, Dhoomanganj, Kareli. Cash and jewellery worth crores of rupees, sale deeds, luxury vehicles and other documents were seized on April 12 by the ED.
Sources in the police department told TOI that efforts were also being made to ascertain whether the attackers were using mobile phones after landing in the Sangam city on April 12 via a roadways bus.
Sources added that during the initial interrogation, the attackers admitted that they wanted to make a name for themselves by eliminating Atiq’s gang. They had also conducted a recee and found the hospital campus the safest site to execute the crime.
Police have reportedly nabbed three close friends of Lovlesh from Banda to obtain more information about him as he used to call himself ‘Don’. SIT is also making efforts as to how they managed to acquire sophisticated weapons used in the killings.
Besides, all calls made during the period in the city, specially in Shahganj locality where the killings took place, are being scanned.
Police said all arrival/departures of suspected persons, who were in the city during the said period, were being scanned to find out whether the three assailants had any links in the city or other parts of the country.
The police, apart from compiling the family background and criminal details of all the three accused — Lavlesh Tiwari, Mohit Singh alias Shani and Arun Maurya — have also obtained the details of the calls made by them in the past one month.
ED teams had carried out raids in Prayagraj and neighbouring Kaushambi district as part of an ongoing money laundering investigation against Atiq and those associated with him. The raids were carried out at over a dozen locations, including Civil Lines, Khuldabad, Dhoomanganj, Kareli. Cash and jewellery worth crores of rupees, sale deeds, luxury vehicles and other documents were seized on April 12 by the ED.
Sources in the police department told TOI that efforts were also being made to ascertain whether the attackers were using mobile phones after landing in the Sangam city on April 12 via a roadways bus.
Sources added that during the initial interrogation, the attackers admitted that they wanted to make a name for themselves by eliminating Atiq’s gang. They had also conducted a recee and found the hospital campus the safest site to execute the crime.
Police have reportedly nabbed three close friends of Lovlesh from Banda to obtain more information about him as he used to call himself ‘Don’. SIT is also making efforts as to how they managed to acquire sophisticated weapons used in the killings.