PRAYAGRAJ: Mafiosi-turned politician Atiq Ahmad and his younger brother Khalid Azeem aka Ashraf were buried at Kasari Masari graveyard on the outskirts of Chakia locality on Sunday night, only a day after burial of Atiq’s son Asad in this very graveyard. Heavy police deployment was made outside the graveyard and arrangements of spotlights were made to ensure proper lighting at the burial site.
The bodies of Atiq and Ashraf were taken to the graveyard by police in two separate ambulances. First, the body of Atiq Ahmad was taken to the graveyard at around 6.30 pm after the post mortem examination was completed at the mortuary in at SRN hospital by a panel of doctors. At around 7 pm, another ambulance was used to take Ashraf’s body directly to the Kasari Masari graveyard for the last rites.
All the pre-burial rituals were carried out at the graveyard itself where the district officials had got two graves dug up adjacent to each other, just a few metres from the grave of Asad.
Most of Atiq and Ashraf’s relatives wanted in lawyer Umesh Pal murder case, including Atiq’s wife Shaista Parveen and Ashraf’s wife Zainab Rubi, did not attend the funeral. The two minor sons of Atiq lodged in Children’s Shelter Home (Rajruppur) as well as his two eldest sons Umar (lodged in Lucknow Jail) and Ali (lodged in Naini Central Jail) could not attend it.
Around 100 people, including a dozen women, attended the funeral, including close relatives of Atiq and Ashraf who were not named in the FIR lodged in connection with Umesh Pal’s murder. Police escorted the relatives to the graveyard for the funeral which took place after bathing the bodies at the mosque located inside the graveyard.
{{/usCountry}}Around 100 people, including a dozen women, attended the funeral, including close relatives of Atiq and Ashraf who were not named in the FIR lodged in connection with Umesh Pal’s murder. Police escorted the relatives to the graveyard for the funeral which took place after bathing the bodies at the mosque located inside the graveyard.
{{/usCountry}}Ashraf’s three minor daughters and a minor son besides his father-in-law, as well as Atiq’s in-laws took part in the rituals.
Entry to the graveyard was kept strictly restricted and even media persons were kept well away from the burial site. People were granted entry only after their identity was checked and their names entered in a register. The burial of both the bodies concluded at around 8.25 pm following which the relatives were asked to leave the graveyard. Ashraf’s children were also taken away by their maternal grandfather.
The funeral of Atiq and Ashraf concluded amid rumours of the arrival of Atiq’s wife Shaista Parveen, Ashraf’s wife Zainab Rubi and Atiq’s two minor sons Ahzam and Abaan who are presently lodged at Child Shelter. However, police officials denied their arrival at the graveyard for the funeral.