Gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed’s son Asad and an accomplice, both wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case, were killed in an encounter with the Uttar Pradesh Police in Jhansi on Thursday, officials said.“Asad and Ghulam were wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case of Prayagraj and were carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh each. They were killed in an encounter with the UP STF team,” said Special Additional Director General (Law and Order) Prasahant Kumar.
“The UP STF team was led by Deputy SP Navendu and Vimal. Sophisticated foreign-made weapons were recovered from the accused. Further details are awaited,” the officer added.Umesh Pal, a key witness in the 2005 murder case of then BSP MLA Raju Pal, and his two police security guards were shot dead outside his home in Prayagraj’s Dhoomanganj area on February 24 this year.
Based on a complaint lodged by Umesh Pal’s wife Jaya Pal, a case was registered on February 25 against Atiq Ahmad, his brother Ashraf, Asad, Ghulam and others.The FIR was lodged under Sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapons), 149 (unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC.
Earlier in the day, Atiq Ahmed and his brother were produced before a court in UP’s Prayagraj on Thursday in connection with the Umesh Pal murder case.They were presented in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Dinesh Gautam around 11:10 am amid security deployment.While Atiq Ahmed was brought to Prayagraj via road from Sabarmati Jail in Gujarat for his production, his brother Khalid Azim alias Ashraf was brought from a Bareilly jail.Atiq Ahmed is also an accused in the 2005 Raju Pal murder case.
