Expressing concern over crimes being committed in full public glare as in the case of the killing of gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed, several criminologists have said what is more worrying is a section of society openly celebrating such acts.
Atiq Ahmad (60) and his brother Ashraf were shot dead at point-blank range by three men posing as journalists in the middle of a media interaction on Saturday night while police personnel were escorting them to a medical college in Prayagraj for a checkup.
The shooters, who were arrested immediately after the incident, had joined the group of mediapersons who were trying to get sound bites from Ahmad and Ashraf. ‘’The purpose of on-camera crime can be understood in two ways. First, the criminal wants to achieve fame, pleasure or exact revenge. It can also help the criminal put out a message to a particular community,’’ said Netaji Subhash, an assistant professor at the School of Criminology and Behavioural Sciences (SCBS) of the Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) in Gandhinagar.