Gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad, currently in police custody in connection with Umesh Pal murder case, has sought permission from a magisterate to attend the funeral of his son Asad who was killed in a police encounter in Jhansi. The Uttar Pradesh police brought the bodies of Asad and another accused Ghulam, who was also killed in the encounter, to Prayagraj early Saturday morning.
Though Atiq moved the court of Friday, his plea was not heard as it was a holiday on account of Ambedkar Jayanti. The application will be presented in the court of chief judicial magistrate on Saturday, according to reports.
Additional police forces will be deployed during Asad's last rites so that no untoward incident takes place. Security has also been tightened near the Ahmad family's ancestral home in Kasari Masari village in Prayagraj.
The encounter was carried out by a 12-member Special Task Force team led by DSPs Navendu Kumar and Vimal Kumar Singh. The officials said foreign-made weapons were seized from Asad and his aide. This included one British Bulldog Revolver .455 bore and Walther P88 7.63 bore pistol. They added that they had an informer in Atiq Ahmed's gang who told them about Asad's whereabouts.
The encounter took place when Ahmad was in a Prayagraj court, where he was presented before the chief judicial magistrate in connection with the same murder and remanded to 14-day judicial custody. The court also allowed a five-day remand for the UP Police to question him.
Umesh Pal, a key witness in the 2005 murder case of 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 Ahmad, his family members and others.
