THE UTTAR PRADESH Special Task Force (STF) team Thursday said it killed 19-year-old Asad Ahmed and Ghulam Hussain, 32, after they were reportedly identified as among shooters who killed advocate Umesh Pal, the witness in the 2005 murder of Raju Pal, an ex-MLA of BSP, and two police gunners, in Prayagraj on February 24.

Asad was the third son of jailed gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmedand was pursuing first year law studies from a private law college in Lucknow. The alleged encounter of Asad and Hussain took place near Parichha embankment in Badagaon police station area of Jhansi district. They were absconding and carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh each.

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Atiq Ahmed, who faces the charge of orchestrating the Raju Pal shootout, was earlier in the day produced in Prayagraj Chief Judicial Magistrate court by the police as the key conspirator behind the killings of Umesh Pal and the two police gunners. He and his brother Ashraf –brought from Sabarmati in Gujarat and Bareilly jails, respectively to Prayagraj – were remanded in police custody for four days.

After the encounter, a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office in Uttar Pradesh said, “CM Yogi Adityanath took a meeting on law and order. CM Yogi praised UP STF as well as DGP, Special DG law and order and the entire team.” The CM was informed about the encounter by Sanjay Prasad, Principal Secretary (Home) of Uttar Pradesh, and presented a report on the whole matter, the CMO said.

In two separate alleged encounters over the previous two months, the Prayagraj police had killed Arbaz on February 27 and Usman on March 6. Police had said while Arbaz was driving the vehicle used by shooters to reach the spot and later escape, Usman was waiting inside a shop and fired at Umesh Pal soon after he got down from his SUV.

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Prayagraj police so far have jailed seven persons for allegedly providing logistic support to execute the shootout and also later helping the shooters escape from the police. Those jailed included Atiq’s brother-in-law, Dr Akhlaq Ahmed, who is a government doctor posted in Meerut.

Sharing details of the operation with the media Thursday afternoon, Prashant Kumar, Special DG, Crime and Law & Order, with ADG, UP STF, Amitabh Yash, alongside said, “UP STF team had been keeping track of the accused wanted in the February 24 shootout and collecting intelligence… They came to know that Asad and Ghulam were preparing to attack the convoys of Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf while police teams were bringing them from Sabarmati (Gujarat) and Bareilly (UP) jails to facilitate their escape from the police custody.”

यूपी STF को बधाई देता हूँ, श्री उमेश पाल एडवोकेट और पुलिस के जवानों के हत्यारों को यही हश्र होना था!

— Keshav Prasad Maurya (@kpmaurya1) April 13, 2023

While trying to find their whereabouts, the STF team traced the movement of Asad and Ghulam in Jhansi. “They got the exact location and details about the two carrying weapons and moving on a motorcycle. The STF team succeeded in tracking them on the road near Parichha embankment between 12.45 pm and 1 pm. While chasing them, they were asked to surrender. However, both started firing and tried to run away. The STF team retaliated and fired at them. Both suffered gunshots and died on the spot. The STF recovered foreign-make 7.62 bore pistol and .455 bore revolver from the possession of the two accused,” he said.

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“With fake encounters, the BJP government is trying to divert attention from real issues. The BJP does not believe in courts at all. Today’s and recent encounters should also be thoroughly investigated and the culprits should not be spared. Those in power do not have the right to decide what is right or wrong. BJP is against harmony,” Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said in a tweet.

Besides Asad and Ghulam, the state government had announced a Rs 5 lakh reward on three others – Arman, Guddu Muslim and Sabir.

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Atiq’s wife Shaista Parveen is also on the run and carries a reward of Rs 50,000. She faces charges of involvement in the murder conspiracy. Atiq’s two sons, Mohammad Umar and Ali are lodged in different UP jails in other criminal cases, while his two younger sons have been kept in a child protection home in Prayagraj by the police.

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According to the police, the CCTV footage recovered from the Umesh Pal shootout spot clearly shows Asad holding a pistol/ revolver in his hand and firing continuously aiming at Umesh Pal and the policemen. He is also seen chasing Pal and the gunners into the lane towards Pal’s house. Ghulam too, according to police, has been captured in the CCTV firing at the spot.

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Reacting to the alleged encounter killing of Asad and Ghulam, Umesh Pal’s wife said, “These two were among the shooters who killed my husband. Whatever Yogi ji is doing and will do is accepted by me.”

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