Umesh Pal Murder Case| UP Court Remands Gangster-Turned-Politician Atique Ahmed, His Brother To 5 Days' Police Custody

A Court in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj District today remanded Gangster-politician Atique Ahmad and his brother Ashraf to 5 day police custody in connection with the Umesh Pal murder case.

Pal and his two police security guards were shot outside his home in the Dhoomanganj area of Prayagraj in February. He was a key witness in the 2005 murder case of BSP MLA Raju Pal.

Chief Judicial Magistrate Dinesh Gautam passed this order in presence of both Ahmad and Ashraf. This development comes amidst the reports that Ahmad's son Asad, also a wanted in the Umesh Pal Murder case, has been killed in an encounter by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) in Jhansi today

The FIR in the case is Based on a complaint lodged by Pal's wife against Ahmad, Ashraf, their family members, and others under sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapons), 149 (unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) and 506 (criminal intimidation).

While Ahmad was brought to the Court from Sabarmati Jail in Ahmedabad, his brother Ashraf was brought from the Bareilly Jail.

Last month, the Allahabad High Court directed the Uttar Pradesh Government to ensure the safety and proper security of Khalid Azim alias Ashraf, the brother of former Lok Sabha MP Atique Ahmed, during his jail transfer for the purpose of interrogation/remand proceedings in connection with the Umesh Pal Murder case.

Last month, the Allahabad High Court denied bail to Ali Ahmad, another son of Ahmad in an attempt to murder case as it observed that Ali is a Mafia Don in making, whose role has also figured in the Umesh Pal Murder case.

Importantly, a local court in UP last month convicted Ahmad and two others in the Umesh Pal abduction Case by MP/MLA Court in Prayagraj. Pal, who was an eye-witness in the BSP MLA Raju Pal’s murder, was abducted in 2006 and was forced to not give evidence against Atique and others. The FIR, in this case, was lodged by Umesh Pal in July 2007.