Umesh Pal murder: Atiq Ahmed sent to 14-day judicial custody
Gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother, Khalid Azim, more popularly known as Ashraf, have been sent to 14-day judicial custody in connection with the murder case of Umesh Pal on Thursday. They both appeared before Chief Judicial Magistrate Dinesh Gautam in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj earlier amid tight security and remained in the court for more than two hours.
What is the case against Ahmed?
Ahmed was allegedly involved in the murder of Bahujan Samaj Party MLA Raju Pal in 2005. In 2006, he kidnapped eyewitness Umesh Pal and forced him to give a statement in his favor. Umesh then filed a case against him and the proceedings were ongoing. On February 24, 2023, Umesh was allegedly gunned down in broad daylight, and Ahmed became a prime accused.
Ahmed's son killed in encounter
Earlier in the day, while Ahmed and his brother were being brought to court, his son Asad and another accused, Ghulam Maksudan, were allegedly killed in an encounter in Jhansi by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (UPSTF). The men were both wanted for Umesh's murder and carried a reward of Rs. 5 lakh each. Reportedly, sophisticated foreign-made weapons were recovered from them.
