Asad Ahmad Encounter: Why Was Gangster Atiq's Son in Jhansi? UP Police Say…

After gangster Atiq Ahmad’s son Asad Ahmad was killed in an encounter, a senior Uttar Pradesh cop said they had information of a possible attack on a police convoy in Jhansi to free the former legislator.

Additional Director General Law & Order Prashant Kumar said the police convoy carrying Atiq used to pass through Jhansi to reach Prayagraj.

“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,” Kumar said.

Asked why the attack was planned in Jhansi, Kumar said, “Jhansi is a big place. There could be many reasons for the convoy to stop. It could be nature’s call or for food.”

Earlier this week, an Uttar Pradesh police convoy brought Atiq Ahmed from Ahmedabad to Prayagraj.

Kumar also informed that 183 criminals have been killed in encounters since 2017 while 13 police personnel lost their lives.

Asad, son of jailed gangster Atiq Ahmed, and his close aide Ghulam were shot dead by Uttar Pradesh STF during an encounter near Parichha Dam in Jhansi today. Both were wanted in Umesh Pal’s murder case.

The police said one British Bulldog Revolver .455 bore and Walther P88 7.63 bore pistol were recovered from them.

“Exchange of fire took place between 12:30 pm and 1 pm. Our STF team encountered two accused, who were injured initially but were later declared dead. They were identified as Ghulam and Asad,” the police said.

Till last year, young Asad Ahmed did not have any criminal case lodged against him. But by February this year, he became the ‘most wanted’ man in Uttar Pradesh after leading half-a-dozen shooters who killed Umesh Pal in broad daylight on a busy street in Prayagraj on February 24.

Mohammed Ghulam, a close aide of Atiq Ahmed, was another accused in the case. In March, the Prayagraj administration deployed bulldozers to demolish his home. Ghulam had been missing since Pal’s murder. Rs 5 lakh reward was on head of both Asad and Ghulam.

Earlier in the day, a Prayagraj court sent gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf to 14-day judicial custody in connection with the Umesh Pal murder case.

The two were produced before Chief Judicial Magistrate Dinesh Gautam at 11:10 am amid heavy security and they remained in the court for over two hours as the arguments proceeded.

This was the second time within a month that Ahmad was brought from the Gujarat jail to Prayagraj via road for a court hearing. On March 28, an MP-MLA court held Ahmad and two others guilty in connection with the kidnapping of Umesh Pal in 2006 and sentenced them to rigorous imprisonment for life.

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