On April 16, 2023, the Raza Islamic Mission (a religious organisation) organised a candlelight march supporting the deceased gangster Atiq Ahmed in Ramganj Bazaar in the Islampur District of West Bengal.
The organisation also floated a social media poster claiming that the event was meant against the Uttar Pradesh Police and Gundaraj.
The Raza Islamic Mission also asked the protestors to ‘raise their voice for justice.’ The poster bore the pictures of the deceased Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf Ahmed.
In a Facebook Post on April 17, 2023, the Islamic organisation announced, “Members of the Raza Islamic Mission wearing black bands on their faces took out a candle march in the Ramganj Bazaar to protest the against the killings of Atiq Ahmed in Police Custody…”
The organisation also posted pictures of men in skull caps, holding candles in hand and protesting in support of Atiq Ahmed and his brother. The Islamic Outfit gloated that it could draw coverage from mainstream media.
On April 15, 2023, Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf Ahmed were shot dead from point-blank range in Prayagraj. The assailants were identified as Lavlesh Tiwari, Arun Maurya and Sunny and posed as journalists.
Atiq’s son Asad Ahmed and close aid Ghulam were also neutralised in an encounter operation by the Uttar Pradesh Police last week.
