Umesh Pal murder case: In a joint operation, the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) and Prayagraj Police have arrested Atiq Ahmed's brother-in-law, Akhlaq Ahmed from Meerut, in connection with the Umesh Pal murder case. Akhlaq was arrested for allegedly harbouring shooters and helping them escape after the crime, reported news agency ANI quoting police sources.
Akhlaq helped Umesh Pal shooter
After killing Umesh Pal, the shooter and Atiq Ahmed's son, Asad, absconded with the help of Akhlaq. Currently, the Prayagraj Police is taking Akhlaq to Prayagraj from Meerut.
Notably, Umesh Pal, an advocate and a prime witness in the 2005 murder case of BSP MLA Raju Pal, was shot dead in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj on February 24. Mafia don-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed is the main accused in the murder case of BSP legislator Raju Pal, which took place in 2005. He is also accused of killing Umesh Pal.
Atiq Ahmed's servant detained
STF also detained a servant of Atiq Ahmed's servant Shahrukh detained from Kaushambi. Shahrukh is accused of giving Rs 50,000 to the brother of shooter Armaan at the behest of Shaista Parveen, Ahmed's wife. Shahrukh was caught while he trying to meet Parveen's family. STF has also recovered a pistol from him. Currently, the STF team is interrogating Shahrukh in its custody.
Atiq Ahmed convicted
Mafia don-turned-politician, Atiq Ahmed was convicted by an MP-MLA court on March 28, and sentenced to rigorous life imprisonment in the abduction case of now-deceased Umesh Pal. This is Ahmed's first conviction even though more than 100 cases were registered against him.
An MP-MLA court held gangster-politician Atiq Ahmad and two others guilty in the 2006 Umesh Pal kidnapping case and sentenced them to life imprisonment. Ahmad's brother Khalid Azim alias Ashraf and six others have been acquitted in the case.
Special MP-MLA court judge Dinesh Chandra Shukla held Ahmad, Saulat Hanif, a lawyer, and Dinesh Pasi guilty in the case, government counsel Gulab Chandra Agrahari said. The three were pronounced guilty under Indian Penal Code section 364-A (kidnapping or abduction in order to murder), Agrahari said. The maximum sentence under the section is death sentence.
(With ANI inputs)
