Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday praised the state police and the Special Task Force (STF) officials after gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed's fugitive son Asad and his accomplice Ghulam, both wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case, were killed in an encounter in Jhansi.  CM Yogi lauded the state police officials and also chaired a high-level meeting on ‘law and order’ after the killing of Atiq Ahmed`s son, Asad, in the encounter. CM Yogi praised the Special Task Force (STF) team which was mainly involved in the shootout. 


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CM Yogi Briefed About Jhansi Encounter


 


According to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister`s Office, Yogi was apprised about the encounter by the Principal Secretary (Home). A report was also placed before the Chief Minister on this whole matter. "After the encounter of former MP Atiq Ahmed`s son Asad and his aide, 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," UP CMO said in a statement. 


"Sanjay Prasad, Principal Secretary Home informed the CM about the encounter. A report was placed in front of the CM on this whole matter," the statement said. 


Asad, Aide Killed In Jhansi Encounter


 


Atiq Ahmed`s son Asad was killed in an encounter with Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force in Jhansi. Asad was killed along with Ghulam, both of whom were wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case of Prayagraj. Each of them carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh. "Asad and Ghulam were wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case of Prayagraj and were carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh each. They were killed in an encounter with a UP STF team," said Special Director General (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar.


The encounter took place on a day Ahmad was presented before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate in Prayagraj in the murder case and was later sent to 14-day judicial custody.


How UP STF Tracked Asad?



Visuals showed two bodies lying beside a motorbike at the site of the alleged encounter. An ambulance later took them away. STF officials said Asad and Ghulam were on the run since the murder of Umesh Pal on February 24. Several STF teams were pressed to track them down. On Thursday, they were trying to flee on a motorcycle when they were intercepted by an STF team in Jhansi, the officials said, adding they opened fire on the personnel and were killed in retaliatory firing.


Foreign-Made Weapons Recovered


 


The UP police said, "Sophisticated foreign-made weapons were recovered from the accused." The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force team was led by deputy superintendents of police Navendu Kumar and Vimal Kumar. ''Asad, son of mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and Ghulam S/o Maksudan, both wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case of Prayagraj and carrying a reward of Rupees five lakh each; killed in an encounter with the UPSTF team led by DySP Navendu and DySP Vimal at Jhansi. Sophisticated foreign-made weapons recovered," UP STF said.


 



 


Atiq Ahmed, Ashraf Remanded To 14-Day Judicial Custody 


 


Meanwhile, a Prayagraj court sent gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf to 14-day judicial custody on Thursday 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.


Ahmad and Ashraf, alias Khalid Azim, will be kept in Naini jail in Prayagraj till April 26, said advocate Vikram Singh, the counsel for Umesh Pal's wife Jaya.
Singh said the arguments on the application for their police custody were yet to be completed.


Message To Criminals: UP DyCM


 


Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya hailed the state Special Task Force on the encounter of Asad and his aide, and termed the action, a "message to criminals". While speaking to ANI, Maurya said, "I congratulate UP STF for this action. Police fired in retaliation after they (Asad and his aide Ghulam) fired upon them." "It is a message to criminals that this is the new India. It is Yogi govt in UP, not Samajwadi Party in power which gave protection to criminals," he said.


 



 


Earlier in a tweet, Maurya said that the killers of Umesh Pal and police personnel had to meet this fate. "Congratulations to UP STF, this was the fate of the killers of Umesh Pal Advocate and police personnel!" the Deputy Chief Minister tweeted in Hindi.


Umesh Pal's Mother Thanks UP CM For Giving Justice


 


Shanti Devi, mother of slain lawyer Umesh Pal thanked UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and expressed her full faith in the Uttar Pradesh government, for giving "justice" after gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed’s son Asad was shot dead in an encounter in Jhansi. "I thank CM Yogi ji for serving justice and I appeal to him to give us justice ahead also. We have full faith in CM," said Shanti Devi, mother of Umesh Pal, the advocate who was killed in broad daylight in Prayagraj earlier this year.


Jaya Devi, Umesh Pal`s widow also thanked the Chief Minister. “I thank the Chief Minister who took such a decision. He gave punishment to the killers of his daughter`s husband. It is justice. I expect that the Chief Minister will do good whatever he does. I express my gratitude to the Chief Minister who is like a fatherly figure," she said.


SP, BSP Call It 'Fake Encounter', Demand Probe


 


Meanwhile, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party demanded an investigation into the Jhansi shootout, suggesting that the state's Special Task Force staged a fake encounter. Atiq Ahmad, a former SP legislator, had earlier expressed apprehension that he himself could be killed by UP Police while being brought to Prayagraj from the Ahmedabad prison, where he was lodged in connection with another case.


When he was being taken to the city for Thursday's court appearance, he made a similar remark. "I am totally reduced to dust, but please don't trouble the women and children of my family now," the 60-year-old told reporters from inside a police van.