In an unexpected development in the Umesh Pal murder case, the Prayagraj Police on Wednesday employed bulldozers to demolish the premises of the accused, who are said to be close associates of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed. Bulldozers have been sent in to demolish the illegal structures built by the accused in connection with the shocking murder case in Prayagraj.
According to the reports, the bulldozers were rolled over the properties of one Zafar Ahmed, where Atiq Ahmed’s wife Shaista Parveen was living. Umesh Pal, a key eyewitness in the 2005 murder of the then BSP MLA Raju Pal was shot dead at his residence in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj on February 24.
Umesh Pal was taken to a hospital immediately, but he passed away while receiving treatment. After reviewing the CCTV video from the crime scene, the Prayagraj Police have identified the criminals. According to authorities, a list of suspects and other information has been compiled for further necessary action.
Reports mention that the list was sent to Prayagraj Development Authority (PDA) which gathered details of the unauthorised and illegally constructed buildings and residential properties belonging to the accused. Bulldozers are being utilised by the PDA against the accused in the Umesh Pal murder case after the UP government reportedly gave the PDA permission to do so.
Large scale action on multiple murder accused involved in the Umesh Pal murder case is expected as bulldozers were seen in several places.
Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, had previously warned that his administration would decimate the criminals and mafias throughout the state. On Monday, the UP Police shot and killed Arbaaz, one of the suspects in the shocking murder of Umesh Pal, during an encounter. The Special Operations Group of the Uttar Pradesh Police conducted a search operation and spotted the accused near Nehru Park.
Subsequently, Arbaaz, the driver of the white vehicle that the attackers used to attack witness Umesh Pal, was surrounded by police teams as a result of an intelligence input, as per Deputy Commissioner of Police Navendu Kumar. At about 3 o’clock, there was an encounter in Nehru Park, under Dhoomanganj police station, during which he fired at the police and was wounded in the ensuing encounter, Kumar said. The officer added that after being transferred to the hospital, the doctors pronounced him dead.
Based on the complaint launched by Umesh Pal’s wife Jaya Pal, police booked Atiq Ahmed, his brother Ashraf, wife Shaista Parveen, two sons, aides Guddu Muslim and Gulam and nine others.
The accused have been booked under sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Explosive Substances Act and the Criminal Law Amendment Act.