Delhi, April 16: The Uttar Pradesh police have said that killers who shot dead gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf used Turkey-made semi-automatic pistol Zigana which are banned in India. Police suspect that the pistols were smuggled or brought here illegally.

The pistol was of the same model as the one used in Punjabi singer-turned-politician Sidhu Moosewala's murder. The Turkey-made pistol was illegally imported to India through Pakistan, reports said. Atiq Ahmed, Ashraf Ahmed Shot Dead: Killers Told Police They Wanted To Kill Mafia-Turned-Politician, His Brother To Become ‘Popular’.

All three shooters were nabbed immediately by the UP Police following the attack. According to the UP Police FIR, the three shooters said they wanted to kill gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf “to become popular and big gangsters”. Atiq-Ashraf Murder: Two Weeks Before Killing, Gangster Moved Supreme Court for Protection in UP Police Custody.

What Are Zigana Pistols?

Zigana semi-automatic pistol is manufactured by TISAS, a Turkish gun manufacturer. The production of the said pistols started in 2001 and is one of the first pistols in Turkey with an original design. The Zigana pistol is used by a handful of countries including Azerbaijan, Turkey, the Philippines, Malaysia and the United States (US) but is banned in India.

With a magazine capacity of 15 bullets, the Zigana is one of the first pistols in Turkey with an original design. Zigana pistols have a locked-slide short recoil operating mechanism with a modified browning-type locking system. The price of these pistols is around Rs 6 to 7 lakh.

For those unaware, Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were shot dead at point-blank range by three guys disguised as journalists during an interaction with the media on Saturday night. They were being escorted by police to a Prayagraj medical college for checkup.

After that, shooters Lovlesh Tiwari, Sunny Singh and Arun Maurya, dropped their loaded weapons. Some of the journalists who were covering the incident also got minor injuries.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 16, 2023 08:43 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).