Asad Ahmed, the son of former MP and gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed, was killed in a police encounter in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh on Thursday.
According to a senior police officer, Asad fired the first bullet, refuting allegations of a staged killing, reported NDTV. Asad and his associate Ghulam were wanted for the murder of a key witness in a 2005 case involving their father. The Special Task Force (STF) of the state police shot the duo dead after they allegedly fired at the officers.
The incident drew criticism from opposition parties, who alleged that the encounter was staged and demanded a probe.
What did STF chief say about the allegations of staged encounter?
According to a report in NDTV, the STF chief, Additional Director General Amitabh Yash, stated that Asad fired the first bullet at the police team, which had been tracking him and his associate for the last 50 days. He also mentioned that the gang had sophisticated weapons and had killed a witness who was under protection from the UP police. Yash denied allegations of a staged encounter and stated that the STF was ready for any inquiry.
Both were part of a gang led by Atiq Ahmed
Asad and Ghulam were part of a gang led by their father, Atiq Ahmed, who is currently in judicial custody for the murder of Umesh Pal, a witness in the killing of former BSP MLA Raju Pal. Yash said that the gang wanted to create fear among the people and that Asad was planning "something big" in Jhansi. He assured that Atiq Ahmed was safe in police custody and that there was no threat to his life.
What did STF chief say about his team?
STF chief Amitabh Yash mentioned that the STF is a small unit of dedicated people that has been working for 25 years to eradicate organized crime from Uttar Pradesh. He said that the STF acted on credible intelligence and evidence and that they would not spare any criminal, irrespective of their political affiliation or influence.
Criminal history of Atiq Ahmed
Atiq Ahmed has over 90 criminal cases against him, including murder, kidnapping, extortion, and rioting. He was shifted from Naini jail in Prayagraj to Sabarmati jail in Gujarat by the Supreme Court in 2019 after he allegedly assaulted a businessman inside the prison. He is also facing trial for the murder of Raju Pal, who was shot dead in 2005 allegedly by Atiq's brother Ashraf.
