Police trying to recover Atiq’s missing Beretta pistol

Police believe that the Beretta pistol could be in possession of either Atiq’s wife Shaista Parveen or Ashraf’s wife Zainab, both of whom are on the run. Atiq Ahmed had also given information to police regarding the Beretta pistol during questioning while in custody remand. Atiq had claimed that the pistol was worth around ₹40 lakh.

PRAYAGRAJ: Following the February 24 triple murders of lawyer Umesh Pal and two police guards, police and the STF started searching for the weapons of slain Mafioso-politician Atiq Ahmed and his gang. During probe, it emerged that Atiq and his brother Khalid Azeem aka Ashraf had arranged for many foreign automatic pistols while plotting Umesh Pal’s murder and a special weapon was a US-made Beretta pistol worth ₹40 lakh which is yet to be found by the police despite recovery of a large number of sophisticated weapons of Atiq’s gang.

Police officials said that Beretta pistol’s design and size was such that it could easily be concealed in purse by women. (For representation)

Police believe that the Beretta pistol could be in possession of either Atiq’s wife Shaista Parveen or Ashraf’s wife Zainab, both of whom are on the run.

It is worth mentioning that Atiq Ahmed had also given information to police regarding the Beretta pistol during questioning while in custody remand. Atiq had claimed that the pistol was worth around ₹40 lakh.

During a raid on Atiq’s office on March 21, police found cash ₹74 lakh along with 10 firearms, including a colt pistol used in the murder of lawyer Umesh Pal and his two police guards.

However, the Beretta pistol was not found in Atiq’s office at Chakia.

On April 15, Dhumanganj police had recovered two more pistols from an abandoned building on confession of Atiq Ahmed and Ashraf.

Police teams had dug many spots near the abandoned building but failed to find the sophisticated Beretta pistol.

Cops suspect that the Beretta is in possession of Atiq’s wife Shaista Parveen or Ashraf’s wife Zainab. Police officials said that Beretta pistol’s design and size was such that it could easily be concealed in purse by women.

Once the pistol is recovered, it will be sent to FSL Lucknow for examination to establish its connection with Umesh Pal’s murder. If its connection with the case is established it will be produced in court as scientific evidence.