Following the encounter of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad’s son Asad and an accomplice, both wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case, former Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav alleged that it is a “fake encounter” and the BJP government is trying to “divert attention from real issues”.
“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 encounter and the recent ones should also be thoroughly investigated and the culprits should not be spared. The ones in power do not have the right to decide what is right or wrong,” he said in a tweet.
“BJP is against brotherhood,” he further alleged.
Both of them were killed in an encounter with the Uttar Pradesh Police in Jhansi on Thursday. Special Additional Director General (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said that Asad and Ghulam were wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case of Prayagraj and were carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh each.
He added that they were killed in an encounter with an Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) team, which was led by two deputy superintendents of police.
Sophisticated foreign-made weapons were recovered from the accused, the cop said.
Visuals from the alleged encounter site showed two bodies lying beside a motorbike. An ambulance later took away the bodies.
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.