Five police personnel were suspended on Wednesday for negligence in connection with the killing of mafia-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf, a senior officer said here on Wednesday.

Shahganj police station in-charge Ashwani Kumar Singh was among those suspended. The remaining are a sub-inspector and three constables.

Ahmad and Ashraf were shot dead at point-blank range by three men posing as journalists in the middle of a media interaction on Saturday night when police personnel were escorting them to a hospital in the Shahganj police station area in Prayagraj for a checkup.

The brothers were in handcuffs when they were killed in full view of camera crews.

The senior police officer said the five personnel were suspended after a special investigation team (SIT) charged them with negligence in discharging their duties.

Police Commissioner Ramit Sharma had constituted the three-member SIT headed by Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Satish Chandra to probe the killings.

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