Gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed on Thursday broke down in a Prayagraj court after learning about the death of his son Asad and one of his aides in Jhansi by a team of the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF). The court sent Atiq and his brother Ashraf on four-day police remand in the Umesh Pal murder case.
Asad and his aide Ghulam Umesh Pal, wanted in the murder case, were killed in an encounter with the Uttar Pradesh Police this afternoon.
Atiq and Ashraf, a 60-year-old former Samajwadi Party MLA, were produced before Chief Judicial Magistrate Dinesh Gautam at 11.10 am amid heavy security and remained in the court for over two hours during the arguments.
An eyewitness present in the courtroom told News18 That during the hearing, Atiq got the news of Asad’s encounter and he broke down and sat on the ground. After crying bitterly, he asked for water to drink. Slogans like “Atik Ahmed murdabad” and “Umesh Pal amar rahe” were also raised in the court premises.
Atiq was brought from Gujarat’s Sabarmati Jail and Ashraf from Bareilly Jail for hearing in the court today. This was the second time within a month that Atiq was brought by road from Gujarat jail to Prayagraj for a court hearing.
Umesh’s wife Jaya Pal had filed a case against Atiq, his brother Ashraf, Asad, Ghulam and others on February 25. Jaya’s lawyer Vikram Singh said, “She will be kept in Prayagraj’s Naini Jail till April 26.”
Asad and Ghulam encounter in Jhansi
Speaking on the incident of encounter, Special Director General (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said, “Asad and Ghulam were wanted in Prayagraj’s Umesh Pal murder case and carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh each. He was killed in an encounter with the UP STF team. State-of-the-art foreign weapons have been recovered from the accused.”
Visuals show two bodies lying near a motorcycle at the site of the alleged encounter. Later an ambulance took them away.
STF officials said Asad and Ghulam were on the run after the killing of Umesh Pal on February 24. Several teams of STF were deployed to nab them. Officials said that on Thursday, they were trying to escape on a motorcycle when they were stopped by a team of STF in Jhansi.
Reaction of Umesh Pal’s family
Reacting to this, Umesh’s family thanked Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the police administration.
“Whatever he has done is right. He (the CM) has punished the killer of his daughter’s husband. I express my gratitude. He is like a father. Justice has been done,” Jaya told the media. and hoped that strict action would be taken against the other accused.
Asked who else she wanted action against, she said, “I leave it to the government. The government is giving me justice.”
Umesh’s mother said, ‘Both the gunmen killed today in broad daylight have committed a sin. He has been punished today. We are confident, we will get complete justice.”
Umesh Pal murder case
Umesh Pal, the key witness in the 2005 murder of BSP MLA Raju Pal, and his two police security guards were shot dead outside their house in Prayagraj’s Dhumanganj area on February 24 this year.
The broad daylight murder on a busy road has raised questions about law and order in Uttar Pradesh and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath vowed in the state assembly that he would “destroy” the mafia in the state.
Based on Jaya Pal’s complaint, Atiq, Ashraf, their family members and others were made accused in the Umesh Pal murder case. Atiq is also an accused in the Raju Pal murder case.
On March 28, an MP-MLA court convicted Atiq and two others in the 2006 kidnapping of Umesh Pal and sentenced them to life imprisonment.
FIR registered in Umesh Pal murder case under IPC sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapon), 149 (complaint of offense committed in prosecution of common object), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt) was done. murder) and 506 (criminal intimidation).
(With inputs from PTI)
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