Jailed gangster Atiq Ahmed’s son Asad Ahmed killed by UP Police in encounter, foreign-made weapons recovered

Dreaded gangster Atiq Ahmed’s son Asad, needed within the Umesh Pal homicide case, was gunned down by Uttar Pradesh police in an encounter in Jhansi on Thursday. His co-accused Ghulam was additionally shot lifeless.

Each Asad and Ghulam had a reward of Rs 5 lakh on their heads. Asad Ahmed had been captured by a CCTV digital camera throughout the assault on Pal and was on the run since.

Ghulam opened hearth at a workforce of Uttar Pradesh Particular Activity Drive round midday on Thursday and the 2 have been killed in retaliatory motion, police mentioned. Subtle weapons, new cellphones and SIM playing cards have been recovered from them, they added. 

In accordance with police sources, Asad Ahmed had fled to Lucknow after the killing of Umesh Pal. He later moved to Kanpur after which Meerut earlier than reaching Delhi, it’s learnt. He then determined to flee to Madhya Pradesh. He reached Jhansi and was on his solution to the state border on a motorcycle when police intercepted him. Asad was reportedly in disguise. Police sources mentioned that they had an informer in Atiq Ahmed’s gang who informed them about Asad’s whereabouts.

Asad’s gun recovered from the spot after the encounter

Sharing particulars concerning the encounter, police mentioned a workforce of 12 led by two DSP-rank officers carried out the operation. A complete of 42 rounds have been fired throughout the encounter at Babina street in Jhansi. 

The encounter killings passed off on a day Atiq Ahmed was produced in courtroom in the identical homicide case and despatched to judicial custody for 14 days.

Umesh Pal, a lawyer, was a witness within the 2005 homicide of BSP MLA Raju Pal. On February 24, he was shot lifeless in a daylight assault exterior his residence in Prayagraj. The safety personnel guarding him have been additionally killed. Surprising visuals of the assault prompted questions on Uttar Pradesh’s legislation and order state of affairs and the federal government got here underneath sturdy criticism by the Opposition.

Umesh Pal’s homicide additionally put the highlight again on Atiq Ahmed, a gangster-turned-politician with over 100 instances in opposition to him. A former Samajwadi Celebration MP, he was convicted final month in a kidnapping case and sentenced to life imprisonment. This case associated to the kidnapping of Umesh Pal again in 2006 — 17 years earlier than he was finally murdered.

The encounter killings of Atiq Ahmed’s son and his affiliate come in opposition to the backdrop of the gangster’s repeated allegations that the Uttar Pradesh police plans to gun him down in a staged encounter.

In truth, the gangster informed reporters yesterday that he was secure due to the media. “It is due to you (media) that I’m secure,” he informed the press whereas being dropped at Prayagraj for a courtroom date.

The gangster was moved to a jail in Gujarat on the instructions of the Supreme Courtroom after he was accused of engineering the kidnapping of an actual property businessman whereas in jail. He has been within the Sabarmati central jail since June 2019.

Over the previous couple of months, Atiq Ahmed has been repeatedly dropped at Uttar Pradesh for courtroom hearings. The high-profile nature of the case and the gangster’s apprehensions of a staged encounter has ensured in depth media protection of the actions.

After Thursday’s encounter, 4 folks linked to Umesh Pal’s homicide have been gunned down. Police are nonetheless in search of Guddu Muslim, who allegedly lobbed a bomb throughout the taking pictures, and one other alleged shooter Sabir. Atiq Ahmed’s spouse Shayista can also be on the run.