Bio

There is very little public information about Ashraf Ali Mohammad Farooq's early life in the research provided.

The material supplied gives his full name and reports his age as between 20 and 25 years old in September 2002. Based on that, his year of birth would be roughly between 1977 and 1982.

Murder Story

On 24 September 2002, multiple attackers struck the Swaminarayam Akshardham complex in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The incident left many dead and many wounded. India's National Security Guard intervened and ended the siege the next day.

At approximately 4:45 pm, a white Ambassador car dropped off two men at Gate 3 of the Akshardham complex. The men were identified as Murtaza Hafiz Yasin and Ashraf Ali Mohammad Farooq. They carried haversacks and jackets that contained weapons and grenades.

Security staff and volunteers at the complex reacted and guided people to safety. Police and commando units from the state and central forces reached the site and cordoned the area. The standoff continued through the night.

By about 6:45 am on 25 September 2002, after a long operation, Black Cat commandos shot the two attackers who were hiding on the premises. Six people were later arrested by Gujarat Police in connection with the case. In May 2014, the Supreme Court acquitted those six accused and criticized the investigation. The Akshardham complex reopened to the public on 7 October 2002.