In a crackdown on associates of gangster Atiq Ahmed named in the sensational Umesh Pal murder case, the Prayagraj Development Authority on Wednesday demolished the house of a close aide of Ahmed.
Prayagraj Development Authority secretary Ajit Singh said the house belonging to Zafar Ahmed had been bulldozed. He said Atiq’s wife Shaista Parveen used to stay in the same house earlier.
After completing formalities during the past three days the Prayagraj Development Authority, Nagar Nigam, district administration and police officers backed by a heavy police force reached the Chakia residence of Khalid Zafar Ahmed, business partner of Atiq, and razed the house worth Rs 2 crore to ground.
The police recovered two rifles and a sword from the house while removing the belongings.
Shaista Parveen, wife of Atique had been residing in this house with her sons since the parental house of Atiq had been bulldozed by the Prayagraj Development Authority.
Zafar was enjoying family relations with Atiq, and his building was situated near that of Atiq's in-laws.
A convoy of bulldozers and backhoes moved towards Chakia in the afternoon hours and they were pressed on work immediately to pull down the targeted building. Demolition experts were also included in the team to ensure that the neighbouring houses did not develop cracks owing to bulldozer action.
The police also took into custody Jainab, wife of Ashraf from her brother's home in Hatawa area. She is being asked about the whereabouts of Shaista Parveen who has been named in the FIR.
Shaista, who lived in Zafar's house, is now absconding. Reports suggest that she was part of the conspiracy hatched to kill Umesh Pal, the key witness in Raju Pal murder case, and criminals used to visit the house which was pulled down on Wednesday.
The police had also raided the Lucknow flat of Atiq Ahmad at Universal Apartments in Mahanagar and had recovered two foreign make cars from there.
According to reports, the assailants had taken a break there after killing Umesh Pal on February 24.
An advocate of Atiq has moved the Supreme Court seeking directions that Atiq should not be shifted to any Uttar Pradesh jail in view of the statements of the chief minister and some other ministers who wanted to see his client dead. If necessary he should be shifted to UP under Central security cover, the plea said.
Pal and one of his security personnel were shot dead in Jaitipur under the Dhoomanganj police station last week. Pal was the main witness in the BSP MLA Raju Pal murder case.
Arbaaz, an accused in the Umesh Pal murder case, was killed in an encounter with the police on Monday. Dhoomanganj police station's Station House Officer Rajesh Maurya was also injured in the encounter.
On the basis of a complaint filed by Pal’s wife Jaya Pal, a case was registered at Dhoomanganj police station in Prayagraj against gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed, his brother Ashraf, wife Shaista Parveen, two sons, aides Guddu Muslim and Gulam and nine others.
Atiq is currently lodged in a Gujarat prison.
Meanwhile, gunner Raghavendra Singh, who was injured in the Umesh Pal murder case, died on Wednesday evening. His treatment was going on at Sanjay Gandhi Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow.
On Tuesday, the doctors had said that infection had spread in his body. He died on Wednesday evening.
With the gunner’s death, the toll in the Umesh Pal murder case reached three. Umesh Pal and one of his gunners, Sandeep Nishad, had died on the spot during the firing by the shooters in Sulem Sarai area under Dhoomanganj police station. Seriously injured Raghavendra was referred to SGPGIMS after his condition deteriorated.