Asad Ahmad, son of jailed gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad, and shooter Ghulam Mohammad were killed in an exchange of fire with the UP Special Task Force team in Jhansi on Thursday afternoon, officials said. Both were wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case and carried a reward of `5 lakh each. Asad Ahmad was caught on CCTV when Umesh Pal was killed and had been on the run for the past 50 days, police said.
“Sophisticated foreign made weapons were recovered from the accused. Further details are awaited,” said Special Director General (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar. He added the UP STF team that gunned down Asad and Ghulam was led by deputy superintendents of police Navendu Kumar and Vimal Kumar.
Atiq Ahmad was in the court of chief judicial magistrate in Prayagraj in connection with the murder case when the news of Asad’s encounter broke. He started crying after hearing the news of his son’s encounter death. He asked for water and sat down holding his head in the district court premises.
STF officials said Asad and Ghulam were on the run since the murder of Umesh Pal on February 24. Several STF teams were pressed to track them down. On Thursday, they were trying to flee on a motorcycle when they were intercepted by an STF team in Jhansi, the officials said, adding they opened fire on the police and were killed in the retaliatory firing.
ADG (STF) Amitabh Yash said, “We knew that they had foreign weapons. We were ready. The way this gang killed Umesh Pal and his two gunners, it was not easy to catch these accused. Both had British Bull Dog revolver and Walther pistol. These weapons are rare. Generally not found”.
Visuals showed two bodies lying beside a motorcycle at the site of the alleged encounter. An ambulance later took them away.
With Thursday’s encounter in connection with the Umesh Pal murder case, the UP Police have so far gunned down four shooters. Earlier Arbaaz was killed in the first encounter on February 27 in Prayagraj. Arbaaz was driving the Creta car in which the assailants had reached Umesh Pal’s house. Asad was also in it. The second encounter took place on March 6. In this, Vijay Chaudhary, alias Usman, who fired the first shot at Umesh, was killed.
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.
His wife Jaya Pal had lodged a report on February 25 against Atiq Ahmad, his brother Ashraf, Asad, Ghulam and others.
Reacting to the news of the encounter, Umesh Pal’s family thanked Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the police administration.
“Whatever they have done is right. He (the chief minister) 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, adding she hoped strict action would be taken against other accused.
Umesh Pal’s mother said, “The two gunners who were killed in broad daylight today had committed a sin. They have been punished today. We have faith, we will get complete justice.”
The Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party have demanded an investigation into the Jhansi shootout, suggesting that the Special Task Force staged a fake encounter.
Atiq gets 5-day police remand; wife wants to surrender
Prayagraj: A Prayagraj court on Thursday sent gangster-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf to 14-day judicial custody and also allowed five-day police remand in connection with the Umesh Pal murder case.
Ahmad and Ashraf, alias Khalid Azim, will be kept in judicial custody till April 26, said advocate Vikram Singh, the counsel for Umesh Pal’s wife Jaya.
Singh said after arguments on the application submitted by police seeking their custody were completed, the court allowed five-day police remand of the duo which will remain effective till evening of April 17.
He said that the next date of hearing in the case has been fixed for April 26.
Meanwhile, sources said Atiq’s wife Shaista Parveen wants to surrender before police in order to have access to the last look at her son Asad — who was killed in an encounter with UP STF in Jhanshi — before his last rite.
