Prayagraj (UP): Uttar Pradesh police gunned Monday down one of the accused in the sensational February 24 killing of a prime witness in the 2005 murder case of then BSP MLA Raju Pal in an encounter here, an official said. Police said that they had asked the accused to surrender, but he opened fire following which police retaliated.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Navendu Kumar said that Arbaaz, who was the driver of the white SUV used by the assailants to attack witness Umesh Pal, was surrounded by police teams following an intelligence input. He opened fire on the police and was injured in the ensuing encounter in Nehru Park under Dhoomanganj police station at around 3.00pm, Kumar said. Arbaaz was taken to a hospital where doctors declared him dead, the officer said.
“Arbaaz was accompanied by two or three other people who managed to escape from the spot. We are trying to track them,” Kumar informed.
Umesh Pal and his police security guard Sandeep Nishad were shot dead Friday outside his home in Dhoomanganj area. The other security personnel Raghvendra Singh, who was injured in the attack, was admitted to SRN Hospital in critical condition. He has been referred Sunday to a hospital in Lucknow.
On the basis of a complaint lodged by Umesh’s wife Jaya, a case was registered at Dhoomanganj police station (in Prayagraj) against gangster-turned politician Atiq Ahmed, his brother Ashraf, wife Shaista Parveen, two sons, aides Guddu Muslim and Gulam and nine others.
“They have been booked under sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Explosive Substances Act and the Criminal Law Amendment Act, police said.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had vowed to destroy the mafias after the opposition Samajwadi Party had questioned the law and order situation in the state in the wake of the killing.
