PRAYAGRAJ The custody of the two youngest sons of the late mafia-politician, Atiq Ahmed, has been awarded to their aunt, Parveen Ahmad. The decision came on Monday as per the directives of the Prayagraj Child Welfare Committee (CWC). These two sons had been residing at the Child Protection Home in Rajruppur for the past seven months, with one of them celebrating his 18th birthday on October 5.
Bal Mukund Goswami, the superintendent of the Child Protection Home, confirmed that the custody of Atiq’s two sons was granted to their aunt in accordance with the CWC’s instructions, following the completion of all necessary formalities.
The saga began when Atiq Ahmed’s two minor sons, Ahzam (17) and Abaan (15), were admitted to the Child Protection Home by the Dhumanganj police after the murder of lawyer Umesh Pal and his two police guards on February 24. Authorities asserted that the two were discovered alone in the Chakia area on February 25.
Following the murders of Atiq Ahmed and his younger brother, Khalid Azeem (also known as Ashraf), on April 15 while in police custody, their sister, Shaheen Ahmad, approached the Allahabad High Court for custody of her minor nephews. However, her plea was declined by the court on the grounds that the children’s mother was still alive and that she could not establish her relationship with them.
Shaheen then pursued the matter in the Supreme Court, filing for custody of her nephews. On August 18, 2023, the court appointed Dr KC George, a retired joint director of the National Institute of Public Co-operation and Child Development, to assess and report on the wishes of the children. They interacted with the children and prepared a comprehensive report, which was presented before the court on August 28, 2023.
{{/usCountry}}Shaheen then pursued the matter in the Supreme Court, filing for custody of her nephews. On August 18, 2023, the court appointed Dr KC George, a retired joint director of the National Institute of Public Co-operation and Child Development, to assess and report on the wishes of the children. They interacted with the children and prepared a comprehensive report, which was presented before the court on August 28, 2023.
{{/usCountry}}During a hearing on October 3, the Supreme Court instructed the CWC to decide within a week whether custody should be granted to close relatives. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for October 10.
Notably, Ahzam turned 18 on October 5. In anticipation of the upcoming hearing, the CWC decided to entrust the custody of Ahzam and Abaan to their aunt, Parveen Ahmad. However, Shaheen Ahmad, who initiated the legal proceedings, was unable to take custody as she is currently a fugitive in an extortion case.
On Monday, the Child Welfare Committee Chairman of Prayagraj, Akhilesh Mishra, along with four other members, namely Arvind Kumar, Suman Pandey, Sushma Shukla, and Akanksha Sonkar, convened a meeting. Following this, an order was issued to transfer the custody of Atiq’s two sons to their aunt, Parveen Ahmad.
At 5 pm, Parveen Ahmad arrived at the children’s home in Rajrooppur to pick up Ahzam and Abaan. ACP (Dhumanganj) Varun Kumar and SHO of Dhumanganj police station Rajesh Maurya were also present, accompanied by a police force, to facilitate the process. After completing the necessary paperwork, Parveen took both brothers to a secure location, with a police team ensuring their safety.
Later that evening, Shaheen Ahmad and other relatives visited the Child Protection Home in Rajruppur to complete the required formalities before taking custody of Ahzam and Abaan. According to police officials, the two sons were safely escorted to their aunt’s home. Ahzam was in class 11, while Abaan was a student in class 9 at Saint Joseph’s College.
In accordance with the directives of the CWC, police protection has been arranged for Atiq’s two sons. Their aunt, Parveen Ahmad, has filed an affidavit with the court, assuming responsibility for their well-being and education. She has pledged not to make any decisions regarding Atiq’s sons without prior notification to the court. Additionally, she has committed to providing regular updates to the court concerning their educational progress and other activities.
Goswami noted that Atiq’s two sons continued their studies through an Open School. Their behaviour at the Protection Home remained normal, and they followed the rules and guidelines, much like the other residents.
In a significant development, Dhumanganj police included the name of Atiq’s fourth son, Ahzam, in their case diary. According to the police, Ahzam had created FaceTime App IDs on iPhones used by Atiq, Ashraf, and the assailants involved in Umesh Pal’s murder to communicate with each other.
Atiq’s eldest son, Umar, is incarcerated at Lucknow Jail, while the second son, Ali, is imprisoned at Naini Central Jail, each facing separate legal cases.