Gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad's son Asad, wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case, was killed in an encounter with the Uttar Pradesh Police in Jhansi on Thursday, officials said.
Another accused, Ghulam, was also shot dead during the encounter with the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force, said Special Additional Director General (Law and Order) Prasahant Kumar as reported by PTI.
"Asad and Ghulam were wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case of Prayagraj and were carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh each. They were killed in an encounter with the UP STF team," he said.
"The UP STF team was led by Deputy SP Navendu and Vimal. Sophisticated foreign-made weapons were recovered from the accused. Further details are awaited," the officer added.
After the encounter, Jaya Pal thanked Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the administration.
"Whatever they have done is right. He (the CM) has punished the killer of his daughter's husband. I express my gratitude. He is like a father. Justice has been done," she said, adding she hoped strict action would be taken against other accused.
When asked against who else she wanted action, she said, "That I leave to the government. The government is giving me justice." Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya congratulated the Uttar Pradesh Police and the STF for the action.
"Nobody will touch you if you don't commit a crime. And nobody will be spared if they Commit a crime," he told PTI. He said this was a BJP government and not an SP government that criminals would be spared.
UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya took to Twitter to share the news of the encounter and said, “Congratulations to UP STF, this was the fate of the killers of Mr. Umesh Pal Advocate and police personnel!”
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. Based on a complaint lodged by Umesh Pal's wife Jaya Pal, a case was registered on February 25 against Atiq Ahmad, his brother Ashraf, Asad, Ghulam and others.
The FIR was lodged under sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapons), 149 (unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC.
Atiq’s plea to UP govt
Atiq Ahmad is also an accused in the 2005 Raju Pal murder case and faces more than 100 cases in Uttar Pradesh. While being transported in the police van to a prison in Prayagraj on Wednesday, the 60-year-old former Samajwadi Party MLA pleaded with the government to spare his family members, who are co-accused in several cases.
"I am totally reduced to dust, but please don't trouble the women and children of my family now," gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed told reporters from inside the police van in a veiled reference to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's "mafiaaon ko mitti me mila denge" warning.
"Mafiagiri toh pahle hi samapth ho gyi, ab toh ragada ja raha hai. Mafia-giri has already ended, now I am being hounded," Ahmed said, when asked about his criminal acts.
Ahmed last month moved the Supreme Court for protection, claiming he and his family have been falsely implicated as accused in the Umesh Pal murder case in Prayagraj and he may be killed in a fake encounter by the Uttar Pradesh Police.
