Lucknow: In another development in the Umesh Pal murder case, the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) on Thursday arrested Qayum Ansari from Kapilvastu in Nepal. Qayum allegedly helped politician-turned-gangster Atiq Ahmed's son Asad and Umesh Pal's shooters to escape to Nepal. After primary interrogation, Qayum is now being brought to Prayagraj by the STF for further questioning.
The STF arrested Qayum, a close aide of Ahmed, based in Chandrota in Kapilavastu. He had helped all the accused to cross the Indo-Nepal border and had then given shelter to the accused. He had given them a car to travel to a safer location in Nepal. Qayum is known to have underworld connections.
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Currently, the police are searching for five accused in connection with the Umesh Pal murder case, including Ahmed's son Asad, Guddu Muslim, who was seen in the initial CCTV footage and three other shooters namely Arman, Ghulam and Sabir. The STF had received information that the five culprits fled to Nepal. Since then, STF has been searching for the culprits in Nepal. Apart from Nepal, the STF conducted raids in Thailand as well as at 500 places in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Punjab, Bihar, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Gujarat.
Umesh Pal, who was a key witness in the 2005 BSP MLA Raju Pal murder case and his security guard was shot dead outside his home in Dhoomanganj on February 24. Umesh Pal's wife Jaya Pal lodged a complaint with the police, based on which, a case was registered against Atiq Ahmed, who was the main accused in the 2005 BSP MLA Raju Pal murder case and is currently in Gujarat jail. A case was registered against Atiq's wife Shaista Parveen, brother Ashraf, two sons, aides Guddu Muslim and Ghulam and nine others.
