Umesh Pal Murder Case: Atiq Ahmad Gang Member With Rs 1 Lakh Reward On Head Arrested By UP Police

Saddam, Atiq's brother-in-law Ashraf Ahmed's brother-in-law, was holding a Rs 1 lakh bounty for his arrest, the UP's STF stated.

On April 15, gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf Ahmed were shot dead at point-blank range by three men.

Source : PTI

Abdul Samad, an active member of the Atiq Ahmad gang, was caught in Delhi on Thursday while on his way to visit his lover, according to police, news agency PTI reported. Saddam, Atiq's brother-in-law Ashraf Ahmed's brother-in-law, was holding a Rs 1 lakh bounty for his arrest, they added. Saddam was detained at 2 a.m. from a DDA flat near the Select City Walk mall in Delhi's Malviya Nagar when he went there to visit his lover, according to Special DG, Law and Order Prashant Kumar.

Uttar Pradesh | Abdul Samad alias Saddam, a member of Atiq Ahmad gang arrested by STF from Delhi. Saddam was carrying a reward of Rs 1 Lakh on his head. pic.twitter.com/qzzrBbrkG6

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) September 28, 2023

Speaking about the arrest, UP STF ADG Amitabh Yash stated: "Abdul Samad, alias Saddam, is the brother-in-law of Ashraf... He used to manage the work of Ashraf when Ashraf was in Bareilly Jail... He had taken all the shooters to Bareilly Jail to meet Ashraf using fake documents... We have found this in CCTV footage... There is a lawsuit against him in Bareilly Jail, and we have arrested him under that... He had taken all the shooters of Umesh Pal's murder and arranged their meeting with Ashraf... This operation (to arrest Abdul Samad, alias Saddam) was conducted by the Bareilly unit of the UP STF. He was arrested in Malviya Nagar, Delhi. He was an important and trusted member of the gang. Interrogation is going on, and we will inform you further about this."

#WATCH | Lucknow: Amitabh Yash, ADG UP STF, says "...Abdul Samad, alias Saddam, is the brother-in-law of Ashraf... He used to manage the work of Ashraf when Ashraf was in Bareilly Jail... He had taken all the shooters to Bareilly Jail to meet Ashraf using fake documents... We… https://t.co/mEW2Gkf8BZ pic.twitter.com/ijDoWTuxbM

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) September 28, 2023

On April 15, gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf Ahmed were shot dead at point-blank range by three men acting as journalists when police were bringing them to a medical college in Prayagraj for a checkup.

Saddam allegedly used to orchestrate meetings between individuals and Ashraf in the Bareilly Prison, where he was imprisoned. 

Following the February 24 murder of Umesh Pal, a crucial witness in the 2005 shooting of BSP MLA Raju Pal, outside his house in Prayagraj's Dhoomanganj, a FIR was filed against Saddam, Ashraf, jail officials, and others on allegations of conspiracy, extortion, and providing security to criminals, among others.

Saddam informed STF during questioning that he had been hiding in several locations in Delhi, Karnataka, and Maharashtra to avoid capture. When his brother-in-law Ashraf was imprisoned in Bareilly, he used to dwell in Khusbhu Enclave, according to a police official.

(With Inputs From Agencies)