Umesh Pal murder case: Atiq Ahmed, Ashraf to be produced in court today; deceased’s kin says “We have full faith in court”

Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) [India], April 13 (ANI): Jailed gangster Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf will be produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate today in connection to the Umesh Pal murder case.

Prayagraj police unit is likely to plead for a 14-day custody remand of Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf to question them, officials said.

On April 12, police brought these two criminals from Sabarmati Jail and Bareilly Jail to Prayagraj’s Naini Jail through a B warrant.

According to police sources, the police are assuming that they will get custody and for this, preparations are being made to primarily keep these two in the police line.

Earlier, Ashraf was shifted to Bareilly jail while Atiq is being brought to Gujarat’s Sabarmati jail.

Umesh Pal’s mother Shanti Devi said, “We have full faith in the court that the killers of my elder son will be punished. Whatever the decision of the court will be accepted.”

“We are satisfied with whatever action has been taken by the government, the government is continuously taking action,” she said.

“Today the accused are produced in the court so we would like that they should be given the harshest punishment to find out the real reason why they killed my husband,” Umesh Pal’s wife Jaya Pal.

“There is still fear in the family, we have been given security by the government, but we are not coming out of the house, it is possible that these people will kill us directly,” she added.

Ashraf along with Atiq Ahmed was held guilty in the Umesh Pal kidnapping case by Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj MP-MLA Court on March 28, which also sentenced Atiq to rigorous life imprisonment in the abduction case of now-deceased Umesh Pal.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday seized Rs 75 lakhs of Indian and foreign currency as well as some documents pertaining to nearly 200 bank accounts and 50 shell entities from the premises of jailed gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his associates.

The seizure followed a massive raid conducted by the ED sleuths at 15 locations in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj on Wednesday.

The documents pertaining to nearly 200 bank accounts and 50 shell entities, which were seized during these raids, the ED said were used for laundering of ill-gotten money generated out of extortion, land grabbing and other criminal activities.

The agency on Wednesday searched the premises of Atiq and his relative Khalid Zafar, his advocate-cum-accomplice Saulat Hanif Khan, his associates Asad, Vadood Ahmad, Kali, Mohsin, chartered accountant Sabeeh Ahmed, chartered accountant Asif Jafri, Seetaram Shukla (accountant), real estate developers Sanjeev Aggarwal and Deepak Bhargav.

The raids were conducted at a time when Ahmed is being brought to Prayagraj from the Sabarmati Jail in Gujarat for his production in a local court in connection with the Umesh Pal murder case.

The case in which Ahmed is facing trial is linked to the murder of Pal and his two police security guards who were shot dead outside his home in Prayagraj’s Dhoomanganj area on February 24 this year.

Uttar Pradesh Police had registered a First Information Report (FIR) on February 25 against Ahmed, his brother Ashraf, his wife Shaista Parveen, two sons, aides Guddu Muslim and Ghulam, and nine others following a complaint lodged by Pal’s wife.

Atiq Ahmed and his family came under the scanner in the Umesh Pal murder case.

Umesh Pal, a key witness to the murder of Bahujan Samaj Party leader Raju Pal and one of his two armed security escorts was shot dead in Prayagraj’s Sulem Saray area on February 24. Several rounds were fired and bombs were hurled at Umesh and his gunners. (ANI)