New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh’s mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed’s son Asad and his associate Ghulam have been killed in an encounter in Jhansi, the state police said Thursday.
Asad and Ghulam were both wanted in connection with the murder of Umesh Pal in Prayagraj and carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh each.
The encounter was carried out by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force team, led by deputy superintendents Navendu and Vimal. The police also recovered sophisticated foreign weapons from the site.
Atiq Ahmed was convicted and sentenced to jail on 28 March for the abduction of Umesh Pal, who was a crucial witness to the 2005 murder of BSP MLA Raju Pal.
Raju Pal was murdered months after winning the Allahabad (West) Assembly seat, defeating Atiq Ahmed’s younger brother Khalid Azim. Atiq Ahmed was then accused of the politician’s murder.
Soon after, Umesh Pal filed a case with the police saying Ahmed kidnapped him in 2006 to pressure him to testify in his favour.
The witness was himself murdered on 24 February this year in a brazen daylight attack that saw him and his security cover struck with bombs and bullets in Prayagraj’s Dhoomanganj.
Ahmed – a five-time MLA and a former MP – has been convicted of kidnapping Pal and is now being tried for his murder, along with brother and ex-MLA Ashraf.
There are 130 cases against Atiq Ahmed so far, filed since 1979 when he was seven years old. The conviction in Umesh Pal’s kidnapping was the first in 44 years.
Atiq Ahmed was brought to the Prayagraj court Thursday for his trial in the Umesh Pal murder case.
#WATCH | Mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed at CJM court Prayagraj in the Umesh Pal murder case
His son Asad, who was wanted in the same case, has been killed in an encounter by UP police in Jhansi today pic.twitter.com/UcRVtCKVnJ
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) April 13, 2023
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also held a meeting on law and order Thursday. Principal Secretary, Home, Sanjay Prasad informed Yogi of the encounter and a report was also placed before him.
#WATCH | Bodies of criminals Asad and Ghulam brought to Jhansi Medical College for examination
Former MP Atiq Ahmed's son Asad and aide were killed in an encounter by UP STF in Jhansi today. They were wanted in lawyer Umesh Pal murder case. pic.twitter.com/EmR2SCYZhe
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) April 13, 2023
Top UP police officer Anant Dev Tiwari said Asad and Ghulam were on an inter-state run after Umesh Pal’s murder in February. “We received a tip-off and zeroed in on them in Jhansi. They fired on the police team after which the STF team shot them down,” UP Special Task Force DIG Tiwari said.
VIDEO | "They (Asad and his aide Ghulam) were travelling across several states after the Umesh Pal murder incident. We received a tip off and zeroed in on them in Jhansi. They fired on the police team after which the STF team shot them down," says UP STF DIG Anant Dev Tiwari. pic.twitter.com/tZYY87vndZ
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 13, 2023
Special Director General (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said the government has a “zero-tolerance policy against the mafia”. “The result of this policy is before everyone today,” he said.
Kumar also said there was extra police presence in the state because the force had information an attempt would be made to ambush Atiq Ahmed’s convoy to court. “In view of this information, more teams of civil police and special forces were deployed,” Kumar said.
"Fake encounter; today's & recent encounters should be thoroughly probed," says SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on police encounter of mafia Atiq's son & his aide. pic.twitter.com/mJjd41KFy1
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) April 13, 2023
Meanwhile, state Opposition leader and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav called the killings a “fake encounter”. “Today’s and recent encounters should be thoroughly investigated and culprits should not be spared,” Yadav tweeted. Atiq Ahmed had become a lawmaker several times on Samajwadi Party tickets, including one to the Lok Sabha in 2004.
Also read: Prayagraj: Atiq Ahmed, Ashraf brought to CJM court amid tight security