Atiq Ahmad’s son, aide killed in UP police encounter

Gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad’s son Asad and an accomplice, both wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case, were killed in an encounter with the Uttar Pradesh Police in Jhansi on Thursday, officials said. “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 an UP STF team,” said Special Director General (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar. “Sophisticated foreign made weapons were recovered from the accused. Further details are awaited,” he said, adding the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force team was led by deputy superintendent of police Navendu Kumar and Vimal Kumar. The encounter took place on a day Ahmad was presented before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate in Prayagraj in the murder case and was sent to 14-day judicial custody. Visuals showed two bodies lying beside a motorbike at the site of the alleged encounter. An ambulance later took them away. STF officials said Asad and Ghulam were on the run since the murder of Umesh Pal on 24 February. 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 personnel and were killed in retaliatory firing. Revealing further as how the encounter took place, State’s Special Director General (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said that based on the information, two teams were deployed and Asad was intercepted, while he was on a bike along with his aide Ghulam. “Action was taken on the basis of information and at around 12:30 and 1 pm the duo were killed in a retaliatory firing,” Kumar said, adding that the Special Task Force conducted the entire operation. 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 24 February this year. His wife Jaya Pal had filed a case on 25 February against Atiq Ahmad, his brother Ashraf, Asad, Ghulam and others. Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath chaired a high-level meeting on ‘law and order’ after the killing. CM Yogi also lauded the Special Task Force (STF) team which was involved in the shootout. According to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister’s Office, Yogi was app