Prayagraj: The Prayagraj police have submitted a charge-sheet against slain gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad’s sons Umar and Ali, an official said.
The duo has been charged for being involved in lawyer Umesh Pal’s murder outside his residence in the Sulem Sarai area of Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj district on February 24, 2023.
Umar is lodged in Lucknow jail while Ali is in Naini Central jail.
The two were arrested in separate cases of abduction, assault and attempt to murder in 2022.
Dhumanganj Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Varun Kumar, said Ali and Umar have confessed in their statements that they were involved in the conspiracy of Umesh Pal’s murder.
A charge sheet has been filed against Ali and Umar in the case under Section 120 B of the IPC, he added.
This was the fourth charge sheet filed by police in the Umesh Pal murder case.
The first charge sheet was filed against the accused Sadaqat Khan in May 2023, the second supplementary charge sheet was filed on June 17, 2023, against Atiq’s lawyer Khan Saulat Hanif, Ekhlaq Ahmad and six others.
The third charge sheet was filed in October 2023 against Atiq’s lawyer Vijay Mishra.
Other accused in the case — Atiq’s wife Shaista Parveen, his sister Ayesha Noori, Ashraf’s wife Zainab and the assailants — Guddu Muslim, Mohd. Arman and Sabir — are absconding.
The police have recorded the statements of Ali and Umar in Lucknow and Naini jails.
In the case diary of the charge sheet, police mentioned that Ali has admitted in his statement that he was aware of the conspiracy of Umesh Pal’s murder. He had even asked Atiq’s son Asad Ahmad not to accompany the assailants.
Umar also confessed to having full knowledge of the conspiracy.
Police officials said that Asad and some other assailants visited Ali and Umar in jail.
–IANS