Killing of gangster on India’s live television raises concerns over law and order in Uttar Pradesh

NEW DELHI - The

murders of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf

on live television have raised questions about law and order and due process of law in India’s most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, after at least one state minister described the killings as “divine justice”.

Ahmed, 60, a former state legislator who served five terms and did a stint as a Member of Parliament, was shot at point-blank range as he was responding to questions from the media while being escorted by police outside a hospital in Prayagraj city on Saturday. His brother Ahsraf, 49, was also shot at close range.