Akhilesh Yadav Calls Atiq Ahmed's Son Asad's Encounter 'Fake', Slams Yogi Govt

Atiq Ahmed's son Asad, who was wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case, was killed in an encounter with the Uttar Pradesh Police in Jhansi.

New Delhi: Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday called gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad's son Asad's encounter a 'fake' one and said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government is trying to divert attention from the real issues. Taking to his official Twitter account, the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister also said that the BJP 'does not believe' in the court and demanded that today's and recent encounters should be thoroughly investigated. 

In a tweet in Hindi, Akhilesh Yadav said, "By doing fake encounters, the BJP government is trying to divert attention from the real issues. The BJP does not believe in the court at all. Today's and recent encounters should also be thoroughly investigated and the culprits should not be spared. The power does not have the right to decide what is right or wrong. BJP is against the brotherhood."

झूठे एनकाउंटर करके भाजपा सरकार सच्चे मुद्दों से ध्यान भटकाना चाह रही है। भाजपाई न्यायालय में विश्वास ही नहीं करते हैं। आजके व हालिया एनकाउंटरों की भी गहन जाँच-पड़ताल हो व दोषियों को छोड़ा न जाए। सही-गलत के फ़ैसलों का अधिकार सत्ता का नहीं होता है।

भाजपा भाईचारे के ख़िलाफ़ है। — Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) April 13, 2023

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati also demanded a thorough investigation into the death of Asad. She also said the killing could be a repeat of the 'Vikas Dubey incident'. Dubey was a notorious gangster from Kanpur, who was killed in 2020 when the police vehicle bringing him from Madhya Pradesh overturned and he tried to escape by snatching a gun from a policeman.

"People feel their apprehension of a repeat of the Vikas Dubey incident has come true. Therefore, a high-level inquiry is necessary so that the complete facts and truth of the incident can come before the public," she tweeted in Hindi.

प्रयागराज के अतीक अहमद के बेटे व एक अन्य की आज पुलिस मुठभेड़ में हुई हत्या पर अनेकों प्रकार की चर्चायें गर्म हैं। लोगों को लगता है कि विकास दुबे काण्ड के दोहराए जाने की उनकी आशंका सच साबित हुई है। अतः घटना के पूरे तथ्य व सच्चाई जनता के सामने आ सके इसके लिए उच्च-स्तरीय जाँच जरूरी। — Mayawati (@Mayawati) April 13, 2023

Their remarks came hours after Asad Ahmed and his accomplice Ghulam, both wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case, were killed in an encounter with the Uttar Pradesh Police in Jhansi.

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.

Asad and Ghulam, who were carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh each, were on the run since the murder of Umesh Pal in Prayagraj.

Asad and Ghulam were wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case and were carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh each. Sophisticated foreign-made weapons were recovered from the accused, says Special ADG (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar. (File Photos: 1. Asad, 2. Ghulam) pic.twitter.com/0mbrD9vAuD — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 13, 2023

"Sophisticated foreign-made weapons were recovered from the accused," Special Director General (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said, adding the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force team was led by deputy superintendents of police Navendu Kumar and Vimal Kumar.

Umesh Pal, a key witness in the 2005 murder case of then BSP MLA Raju Pal and his two police security guards were shot dead outside his home in Prayagraj's Dhoomanganj area on February 24 this year.

His wife Jaya Pal had filed a case on February 25 against Atiq Ahmad, his brother Ashraf, Asad, Ghulam, and others.

The daylight murder on a busy street had raised questions over law and order in Uttar Pradesh and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had vowed in the state assembly that he will 'destroy' the mafia in the state.

Umesh Pal murder case: Atiq Ahmad sent to 14-day judicial custody

Asad's encounter took place on a day when Atif Ahmed was presented before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate in Prayagraj in the Umesh Pal murder case and was sent to 14-day judicial custody.

Atiq and his brother Ashraf, who was also sent to 14-day judicial custody, 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.

Ahmed 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.

For the court hearing on Thursday, Ahmed, the 60-year-old former SP legislator, was brought from Sabarmati Jail in Gujarat and Ashraf was brought from Bareilly Jail.

This was the second time within a month that Ahmed was brought from the Gujarat Jail to Prayagraj via road for a court hearing.

Earlier on March 28, an MP-MLA court held Ahmed and two others guilty in connection with the kidnapping of Umesh Pal in 2006 and sentenced them to rigorous imprisonment for life.