By India Today News Desk: There was a plan to attack the police convoy to help gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf escape, Uttar Pradesh’s ADG Law and Order, Prashant Kumar, said on Thursday. His remarks came after Atiq’s son Asad Ahmed was killed in an encounter with UP Police’s Special Task Force.

Uttar Pradesh’s ADG Law and Order, Prashant Kumar, said the UP Police had the inputs 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 Umesh Pal murder case.

Addressing a press conference, Prashant Kumar said that UP Police was continuously tracking the accused in the Umesh Pal murder case.

Speaking on Asad and his aide’s encounter, Prashant Kumar said there was firing from both sides and in the conflict, the accused were injured before succumbing to death.

“The government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy against the mafia. The result of this policy is before everyone today,” said Prashant Kumar.

Notably, Asad and Gulam had a bounty of Rs 5 lakh each on their heads and were absconding in the Umesh Pal murder case.

ATIQ AHMED IN PRAYAGRAJ COURT

Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Court in Prayagraj in the Umesh Pal murder case on Thursday. Both Atiq and Ashraf were remanded to police custody for seven days.

Prayagraj Police had sought a 14-day custody remand of Atiq Ahmed and Ashraf for questioning.

UMESH PAL MURDER CASE

Vijay Kumar, alias Usman Chowdhary, along with several others, killed Umesh Pal, the prime witness in the 2005 BSP MLA Raju Pal murder case, at his residence in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj.

Raju Pal was murdered months after winning the Allahabad (West) assembly seat in his electoral debut by defeating Former MP Atiq Ahmed’s younger brother Khalid Azim.

Atiq Ahmed, his brother and ex-MLA Ashraf are prime accused in the Raju Pal murder case. All the accused are presently lodged in jail.

CCTV footage showed Umesh Pal and one of his two police bodyguards getting out of the SUV when suddenly a man came from behind and shot him.

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