Police on Saturday recovered 13 firearms and 54 live bullets from the residence of the in-laws of Abdul Kavi, who is wanted in connection with the murder of BSP MLA Raju Pal in 2005, in Kataiya village of Kaushambi district.
Out of the 13 firearms seized during a raid by Kaushambi police, five were country-made guns, police officials said. Five of Abdul’s relatives, including his father-in-law Mohd Aavesh and two sisters, were arrested after the raid.
Abdul, also said to be a close aide of jailed gangster-politician Atiq Ahmad, has been on the run for the last 18 years and even carries a reward of ₹50,000 for his capture, which was announced after the February 24 murder of Umesh Pal and his two police guards in Prayagraj. His role is suspected in the triple-murder case.
During the investigation, the police found out that Abdul and his accomplices often took shelter at Abdul’s in-law’s house. On Saturday, a heavy posse of police and PAC personnel raided Mohd Aavesh’s residence in Kataiya.
Abdul’s sister Tabassum and Shamshun Nishan, who are married and reside in the village, were arrested after raids on their residences too, said Kaushambi SP Brijesh Kumar Srivastava. “During the search operation, the police recovered 13 weapons. Of them, eight are licensed weapons and five are illegal country-made weapons. Around 54 live bullets were also recovered by the police teams,” the SP added.
{{/usCountry}}Abdul’s sister Tabassum and Shamshun Nishan, who are married and reside in the village, were arrested after raids on their residences too, said Kaushambi SP Brijesh Kumar Srivastava. “During the search operation, the police recovered 13 weapons. Of them, eight are licensed weapons and five are illegal country-made weapons. Around 54 live bullets were also recovered by the police teams,” the SP added.
{{/usCountry}}Abdul Kavi’s father-in-law’s and other relatives’ properties in the district were also inspected for anomalies.