Television cameras had filmed the murder of Atiq Ahmed, former Samajwadi MP and alleged gangster, and his brother Ashraf on April 15.

On Thursday, equally unusually, TV cameras filmed the special investigation team recreating the murder scene, and broadcasters beamed the pictures live.

Normally, the media and the public are not allowed during recreations of crime scenes.

But on Thursday afternoon, more journalists than policemen were present at the exercise. More than 50 journalists were at the spot or were positioned on the terraces of nearby houses with cameras.

Nor were onlookers prevented from gathering around the spot. More than 500 people watched from about 15 metres as 20-odd uniformed and plainclothes policemen re-enacted the murder scene.

Some of the policemen played the role of the two victims; the others played the journalists and the policemen present on the day of the murder.

“The recreation of a crime scene in the presence of so many journalists and members of the public is abnormal,” S.R. Darapuri, a former IPS officer, told The Telegraph.