Asad’s uncle to collect body from Jhansi for last rites in Prayagraj

PRAYAGRAJ: The body of Asad Ahmad, who was killed along with another person in a police encounter, will be collected by his uncle from Jhansi, a family advocate said on Friday.

Asad Ahmad, the son of gangster-politician Atiq Ahmad, and his accomplice Ghulam, both wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case, were shot dead in an exchange of fire with the Uttar Pradesh Police near Jhansi on Thursday.

The alleged encounter took place apparently at the time Atiq Ahmad was in a Prayagraj court, where he was presented before the Chief Judicial Magistrate in connection with the same murder case and was remanded to 14-day judicial custody. The court also allowed a five-day remand for the UP Police to question him.

Asad's maternal uncle has gone to Jhansi to take the body, advocate Manish Khanna said.

He is expected to be buried at a graveyard in the Dhoomanganj area here.

Asad was the third of five sons of Atiq Ahmad and was absconding since the Umesh Pal murder case.

Among other sons of Atiq Ahmad, the eldest son Umar is lodged in Lucknow jail, while the second son Ali is lodged in Naini Central Jail in separate cases. The fourth son Ahjam and the youngest son Aban are housed in a juvenile home in Prayagraj.

Atiq Ahmad is presently serving life imprisonment in the 2006 Umesh Pal kidnapping case.

A police official said a large number of policemen be deployed during the last rites of Asad to avoid any untoward incident.

Asad was caught on CCTV when Umesh Pal was killed and had been on the run for the past about 50 days, police said.

On Thursday, police said an STF team led by two deputy superintendents of police reached Badagaon area in Jhansi district after getting information about the presence of gangsters.

Asad and Ghulam, who carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh each, tried to flee on a motorcycle, police said.

They opened fire at the STF team when it surrounded them and the policemen retaliated, they said, adding the two men were killed in the exchange of fire.