Umesh Pal murder case: Police begin process to file charge sheet against accused

Police have begun the process of filing a charge sheet in the advocate Umesh Pal's murder case. Umesh Pal was the key witness in the 2005 BSP MLA Raju Pal murder case.

Prayagraj: Police have begun the process of filing a charge sheet in the advocate Umesh Pal's murder case. Umesh Pal was the key witness in the 2005 BSP MLA Raju Pal murder case. Pal (48) and his two police gunners had been killed in a shootout in the city's Dhoomanganj area on February 24. Police were preparing to file the charge sheet against the cohorts of gangster-turned-politician the late Atiq Ahmed's gang.

Several accused in the case, including the late former MP Atiq, his younger brother Ashraf and his son Asad, are no more. The names of the late Atiq Ahmed's henchman Vijay Chaudhary alias Usman, Arbaaz and his son Asad, and shooter Ghulam were included in the charge sheet. Six accused in the Umesh Pal murder case were dead. Besides, a charge sheet will also be filed against the late Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf, who were killed on April 15 in Prayagrag. The eight other accused--Niyaz Ahmed, Mohammad Sajar, Kaish Ahmed, Mohammad Arshad Khan alias Arshad Katra, Rakesh Kumar alias Nakesh Kumar Lala, Dr Akhlaq Ahmed, Sadakat Khan and Atiq’s lawyer Khan Shoulat Hanif--are cooling heels in different jails of Uttar Pradesh.

Whereas, Atiq, Hanif and one more accused were convicted in the Umesh Pal kidnapping case. The kidnapping took place in 2006. Atiq was convicted in the kidnapping case before he was shot dead in Prayagrag. On April 15, three assailants posing as journalists sprayed bullets on Atiq and his brother. Both died on the spot. The incident happened when they were taken to a hospital for a medical check-up in Prayagraj.

Besides, police have been conducting raids to arrest Atiq’s wife Shaista Parveen. Raids were also going on to arrest Guddu Muslim, Armaan and Sabir. Shaista was involved in planning the murder of Umesh Pal. Guddu Muslim, Armaan and Sabir were involved in executing the crime, police said.