Dhumanganj police recorded the statement of slain mafia-politician Atiq Ahmed’s eldest son, Umar, on Wednesday in connection with the murder of lawyer Umesh Pal and his two police guards on February 24 last year. Umar is presently lodged at Lucknow Jail after surrendering before the CBI court in connection with the abduction and assault on a Lucknow-based realtor, Mohit Agarwal.
Earlier, police recorded the statement of Atiq’s second son, Ali, who is lodged at Naini Central Jail in the same case. It is believed that police may soon file a supplementary chargesheet in court against the duo in Umesh Pal’s murder case.
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Police obtained a B warrant from the court to question Umar at Lucknow Jail. On Wednesday, police officials questioned Umar regarding his role in planning the sensational murders. They asked him about the assailants and others involved in planning and committing the murders. Police officials said that Umar confessed to his involvement in the conspiracy to kill Umesh Pal. Umar informed the police that his younger brother, Asad, met him after returning from Bareilly Jail with other assailants, following a meeting with his uncle Ashraf, where they finalized the plan to kill Umesh Pal. Asad informed Umar about the plan and the assailants who would commit the murder of Umesh Pal on the instructions of their father, Atiq, and uncle Ashraf.
Police officials stated that the evidence collected earlier, statements of the arrested accused, along with the questioning of Umar and Ali, indicate that they were involved in the conspiracy to murder Umesh Pal.
It is worth mentioning that the police filed the first chargesheet in the case in May 2023 against the accused Sadaqat Khan. Two supplementary charge sheets were later filed against eight accused, including Atiq’s lawyer, Khan Saulat Hanif, Atiq’s brother-in-law, Dr Ekhlaq, and others.
