Atiq Ahmed confessed to plotting Umesh Pal murder from jail: Police

Jailed gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed had confessed to his involvement in Umesh Pal murder case, the Times of India reported, citing the police remand note put up before CJM Allahabad court on Thursday. The remand note also said that the conspiracy to commit the crime was hatched when he was in Sabarmati jail.

Earlier on Thursday, the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Prayagraj sent Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf to 14-day judicial custody and also allowed a five-day police remand to both of them in connection with the Umesh Pal murder case. Ahmed was brought to the court in Prayagraj, from a jail in Gujarat, for the Umesh Pal murder case.

Police said that during interrogation, it has also surfaced that Atiq’s wife Shaista used to arrange SIM cards and mobile phones whenever she used to visit Atiq and Ashraf. "Using WhatsApp and FaceTime calls, Ashraf remained in touch with his gang. He said that this time, they had planned to first kill bodyguards of Umesh Pal and then him," Atiq said in his statement to the police.

Earlier this week, Atiq Ahmed's son Asad Ahmed was killed in an encounter with Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force in Jhansi. Asad was wanted in the Umesh Pal murder and he carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh. Asad's aide Ghulam, who was also wanted in Umesh Pal murder case, was also killed in the encounter.

Asad Ahmed and Ghulam were on the run in connection with the murder of Umesh Pal - a witness in former BSP MLA Raju Pal murder - that took place in Prayagraj in February.

Meanwhile, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi has raised questions over the encounter of gangster Atiq Ahmed's son Asad and his aide Ghulam in Uttar Pradesh's Jhansi and said that the "so-called encounters should not take place". "There would be an inquiry as per the Supreme Court guidelines, but that "so-called encounters should not take place"," Owaisi said.

"Indeed, whether it is Umesh Pal or Raju Pal, we have sympathy for them. Because, those people were murdered. How can we support those who committed the murder? But, there is a process, law, Constitution. You get them punishment. Who is stopping you? You get them life (imprisonment). When you have video evidence why don't you use it," he said. (With Agency Inputs)