The three assailants, who were arrested after shooting dead gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf in Prayagraj, confessed to their crime on Sunday, adding that they did it to "become popular".

Days after Atiq Ahmed`s son, Asad, was killed in an encounter in Uttar Pradesh`s Jhansi, the ganglord-turned-politician and his brother were killed on Saturday while being taken for a medical examination in Prayagraj.