Asad Ahmad encounter: Plan to free gangster Atiq Ahmad from custody foiled, says Police

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh), April 13: After the encounter killing of Atiq Ahmad's son Asad and his aide Ghulam, Uttar Pradesh Police on Thursday said that a plan was foiled to help the jailed gangster escape.

Prashant Kumar, the state's Special Director General (Law and Order), revealed that teams of civil police and special forces were deployed in response to intelligence inputs about Asad's plan to free his father Atiq Ahmad by attacking a police convoy midway as the gangster turned politician was being brought to Uttar Pradesh for a hearing.

 "We had information 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 case (Umesh Pal murder case). In view of this information, teams of civil police and special forces were deployed," Kumar added.

Providing more information about how the encounter took place, the official said that two teams were deployed and Asad was intercepted, while he was on a bike along with his aide Ghulam.

"Action was taken on the basis of information and at around 12:30 and 1 pm the duo were killed in a retaliatory firing." A Special Task Force conducted the entire operation.

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He stated that special teams had been formed and had been following the case since Umesh Pal's murder.

"On February 24, a major incident took place in Prayagraj, in which a witness was killed by some miscreants by firing and hurling bombs," he said. "Two uniformed personnel were also killed in the incident."

"Since then the police constituted special teams, which cracked down on several occasions. In connection with this incident Arman, Asad, Guddu, and Sabir were identified and a reward of Rs 5 lakh was announced on their heads," police added.

Asad and Ghulam, who were wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case in Prayagraj, were killed earlier today in a police encounter in Jhansi.

Each of them was carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh. According to the authorities, foreign-made guns were seized.

"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 lakhs 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 informed.

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