Asad Wanted To Help Atiq Ahmed Escape, Police Encounter Foiled Plan: UP ADG

Atiq Ahmad Son Encounter: ADG Prashant Kumar said that special teams had been formed and had been consistently following the case ever since Umesh Pal's death.

The Uttar Pradesh Police on Thursday claimed that the Special Task Force's encounter in Jhansi with Atiq Ahmed's son Asad and his aide Ghulam, who were wanted in the murder of Umesh Pal, foiled their plan to help the jailed gangster-politician escape. The encounter took place on Thursday in Jhansi and involved the UP Special Task Force.

State's Special Director General (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar provided additional information about the operation, revealing that civil police and special forces were deployed in response to intelligence about Asad's plan to free his father Atiq Ahmed by attacking a police convoy midway through the process of bringing the gangster turned politician to Uttar Pradesh for trial.

"We had information that to help the accused Atiq and Ashraf escape there could be an attack on the police convoy bringing them back to UP in the case (Umesh Pal murder case). In view of this information, teams of civil police and special forces were deployed," said Prashant Kumar. 

Uncovering further as how the experience occurred, he said that in view of the data, two groups were sent and Asad was blocked, while he was on a bicycle alongside 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.

He stated that special teams had been formed and had been consistently following the case ever since Umesh Pal's death.

"On February 24, a major incident took place in Prayagraj, in which a witness was killed by some miscreants by firing and hurling bombs," the senior cop said. "Two uniformed personnel were also killed in the incident," he added. 

"Since then the police constituted special teams, which cracked down on several occasions. In connection with this incident Arman, Asad, Guddu, and Sabir were identified and a reward of Rs 5 lakh was announced on their heads," police said. 

In a police encounter in Jhansi earlier today, Asad and Ghulam, who were wanted in Prayagraj's murder of Umesh Pal, were killed.

Each of them carried a five lakh rupee reward. According to the police, foreign-made weapons were retrieved.

"Asad, son of mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and Ghulam S/o Maksudan, both wanted in Umesh Pal murder case of Prayagraj and carrying a reward of Rupees five lakhs each; killed in an encounter with the UPSTF team led by DySP Navendu and DySP Vimal at Jhansi. Sophisticated foreign-made weapons recovered," UP STF said. 

In the case of the murder of Umesh Pal, the Prayagraj Chief Judicial Magistrate Court on Thursday sentenced gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf to four days in police custody.

Umesh Pal's Mother Thanks CM Yogi Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has been briefed about the encounter. The CM has sought a report from the Special Task Force (STF) in the Jhansi encounter case and is personally monitoring the matter.

The mother of Umesh Pal on Thursday expressed her gratitude to CM Yogi Adityanath and for delivering “justice”. "I thank CM Yogi ji for serving justice and I appeal to him to give us justice going ahead as well. We have full faith in CM," Shanti Devi, mother of Umesh Pal, the lawyer who was killed in Prayagraj earlier this year, was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. "This is a tribute to my son. I thank the Chief Minister and the police department which discharged their duties," she added.