E-Paper
Atiq’s sons to be interrogated over missing Beretta pistol used in Umesh Pal murder
Atiq in his statement had also mentioned that the same pistol was utilised in Umesh Pal’s murder, a fact corroborated by ballistic reports.
Prayagraj police are preparing to interrogate the sons of the late Mafia-politician Atiq Ahmed, Ali and Umar, currently held at Naini Jail and Lucknow Jail respectively, regarding the whereabouts of a missing Beretta pistol allegedly used in the murder of Umesh Pal.
During a police raid on March 21, 2023, a sophisticated foreign-made Colt firearm was discovered in Atiq’s office, alongside other firearms and ammunition. Subsequently, British Bulldog and Walther pistols also were recovered from Atiq’s son Asad Ahmed and his associate Ghulam after they were killed in an encounter in Jhansi on April 13, 2023.
However, the Beretta pistol remains unaccounted for, prompting police interest in its retrieval. Ali and Umar will now face questioning concerning the missing pistol and the origin of the firearms found.
Sophisticated firearms, among them a rifle used by the assailant Sabir, who is rewarded with ₹5 lakh, were utilised in the murder of Umesh Pal and his two police guards. Additionally, Asad used an automatic pistol during the incident.
Following the incident, police teams unearthed a substantial cache of firearms and ammunition from Atiq’s partially demolished office at Chakia, which included a colt pistol among other seized firearms. Moreover, just before Atiq and Ashraf were killed on April 15, another Colt pistol was recovered from a deserted location in the Kasari Masari area. This discovery also yielded ammunition, including cartridges of Pakistani origin.
Atiq in his statement had also mentioned that the same pistol was utilised in Umesh Pal’s murder, a fact corroborated by ballistic reports.
Police officials said that Atiq’s gang-maintained contacts with arms smugglers who provided foreign-made firearms. These smuggled firearms, originating from Pakistan, were reportedly dropped by drones near the Punjab border. Investigations into this aspect of the case are ongoing, the officials added.
