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In Umesh Pal murder case, cops intensify efforts to arrest Shaista Parveen
Shaista Parveen is wanted in connection with the murders of lawyer Umesh Pal and his two police guards.
PRAYAGRAJ Efforts to nab slain gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed’s wife Shaista Parveen have been further intensified in the past 48 hours. Police teams are raiding all known possible hideouts, including the houses of her kin in different localities and villages of Prayagraj and neighbouring Kaushambi districts, said cops privy to the development.
Police officials believe that with the murders of Atiq Ahmed and his younger brother Khalid Azeem (aka Ashraf) as well as death of Atiq’s son Asad Ahmad in encounter with U.P. STF in Jhansi on April 13, Shaista remains the one who could shed more light on the planning and execution of February 24 killings of lawyer Umesh Pal and his two police guards.
One of the named accused in Umesh Pal murder case, Shaista has been on the run since the February 24 murders. She carries ₹50,000 reward on her head. Shaista failed to attend the funerals of her son Asad on April 15 as well as of her husband and brother-in-law held at Kasari Masari graveyard on April 16. She has also not surrendered before the court.
“During the past 48 hours, raids have been carried out by police teams in search of Shaista Parveen at Baretha, Mariyadeeh, and Hatwa areas of Kaushambi district. Also, Rajruppur, Chakia, Kasari Masari, and Bamrauli areas of Prayagraj were raided. Even the house of Sahista’s father Mohd Haroon has been searched in Kasari masari area of Prayagraj,” said a senior police officer aware of the developments.
Several close relatives are also being questioned about her whereabouts, he added. As Sahista was last seen in the city in a commercial car, police are also reaching out to the owners of travel agencies to find out if they have any leads. Police officials claim that Shaista has been supporting Atiq in many of his criminal acts and maintain that she played a vital part in the conspiracy to eliminate Umesh Pal.
“To help Atiq, who could not get the licence for new weapons owing to his criminal record, Shaista procured the licences for three weapons -- including a sophisticated rifle and two pistols -- in her name using fake address with the help of Atiq’s connections without even having to go for the mandatory test firing required before being issued a weapon license,” said a police officer.
This has led to the first three cases being registered against her at Colonelganj police station in 2009 under different relevant sections of IPC and Arms Act, the official added. According to police, Shaista started actively managing her husband’s empire after Atiq went to jail in February 2017. She was even videorecorded walking along with Atiq’s known henchmen in city. She also started making inroads in political corridors soon after.
Police claim that at the behest of Atiq, she used to collect extortion money from builders and other traders. She gave the money extorted through such sources to assailants involved in the murder of Umesh Pal and his two police guards. While conducting raids to nab Shaista post February 24 murders, police even recovered cash worth ₹72 lakh that she had allegedly given to her servant Rakesh to hide, said a police officer aware of the development.
Apart from the three cases (dating back to 2009) lodged in connection with procuring weapons illegally, Shaista also has a fourth case registered against her on February 24, 2023, at Dhumanganj police station under relevant sections of IPC which relates to gunning down of lawyer Umesh Pal and his two police guards in Sulem Sarai locality of Prayagraj.
