Umesh Pal murder case: Atiq Ahmed's son killed in encounter
Asad, the son of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed, and another accused Ghulam Maksudan— both wanted for the murder of Umesh Pal—were reportedly killed by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (UPSTF) in an encounter in Jhansi. The duo carried a reward of Rs. 5 lakh each. As per reports, sophisticated foreign-made weapons were recovered from both the slain accused.
Why does this story matter?
This major development comes weeks after Ahmed's conviction in the 2005 murder case of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Raju Pal. In 2006, Ahmed allegedly kidnapped Umesh, a key witness to the murder, and forced him to make a statement in his favor. Umesh then filed a case against him; however, on February 24, he was shot dead, and Ahmed became a prime accused.
Details on STF's official statement
"Asad, son of mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and Ghulam S/o Maksudan, both wanted in Umesh Pal murder case of Prayagraj and carrying a reward of Rupees five lakhs each; killed in encounter with the UPSTF team led by DySP Navendu and DySP Vimal at Jhansi," ANI quoted STF as saying. "Sophisticated foreign-made weapons recovered," it added.
Twitter post confirming Asad's death
UP deputy CM reacts to encounter of Atiq Ahmed's son
Reacting to this latest development, state deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya congratulated the UPSTF for their work. He also claimed that the killers of Pal had met their fate. "Congratulations to UPSTF, this was the fate of the killers of Mr. Umesh Pal Advocate and police personnel!" the minister said in a tweet in Hindi.
Twitter post by Maurya
Asad and Maksudan were killed after firing back at police
Led by deputy SPs Vimal and Navendu, the UPSTF reportedly surrounded Maksudan and Asad and asked them to surrender. However, they allegedly started firing at the police, resulting in the deaths of both accused. As per reports, Asad and Maksudan were taken to a hospital after the encounter, where the doctors confirmed their deaths.
Ahmed and Ashraf's recent court appearance
Separately, Ahmed and his brother Khalid Azim, more popularly known as Ashraf, appeared in court on Thursday in connection with the Umesh murder case before Chief Judicial Magistrate Dinesh Gautam. Under tight security deployment, the two accused were presented at approximately 11:10am. While Ahmed was moved from Gujarat's Sabarmati Jail, Ashraf was brought from a Bareilly jail.
ED's recent raids in Prayagraj
As part of the ongoing money-laundering investigation, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) seized Rs. 75 lakhs in Indian and foreign currency, as well as documents pertaining to nearly 200 bank accounts and 50 shell entities, from Ahmed and his associates' premises on Wednesday. The seizure followed a massive raid by ED investigators at 15 locations in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, according to ANI.
