E-Paper
Umesh Pal murder follow-up:Cops working undercover to trace Atiq Ahmad’s wife Shaista, her sisters-in-law
The police are now trying to locate the trio by working in disguise as milkmen and vegetable vendors.
Cops in Prayagraj and Kaushambi districts are working undercover now to locate three absconding women, who are wanted in connection with the sensational daylight murder of lawyer Umesh Pal on February 24.
Two police security guards of Pal were also killed in the attack and after multiple unsuccessful raids at various places, the police are now trying to locate the trio by working in disguise as milkmen and vegetable vendors.
The women who have caused much embarrassment to the police for over 120 days (nearly four months) now, include Shaista Parveen, the absconding wife of slain mafia-politician Atiq Ahmad, Zainab Fatima, wife of Atiq’s younger brother Ashraf and their sister Ayesha Noori.
Around a dozen undercover cops are keeping a special watch in rural areas of the two districts where relatives of associates of their husbands live.
“To maintain confidentiality, these undercover cops have been directed to report only to senior cops,” a police source said.
“In disguise it is easier for the police team to enter villages without raising any suspicion,” this source said.
While a reward of ₹50000 has been declared on Shaista, Ashraf’s brother-in-law Saddam is carrying a reward of ₹1 lakh. Atiq’s henchmen Guddu Muslim, Sabir and Armaan involved in Umesh Pal’s murder are carrying a reward of ₹5 lakh. Police sources said that all of them have been changing locations to evade the cops.
“Atiq’s trusted aides and supporters are hardcore and notorious who have been keeping an eye on the movement of police teams and alerting Shaista and other absconding accused,” said a cop while explaining the need to go undercover to trace the accused.
This cop said a select team is working in disguise of milkmen, salesmen, e-rickshaw drivers in and around rural areas of Prayagraj- Kaushambi border to get inputs on the accused.
In the past, cops claimed that the location of Shaista Parveen and Zainab has been traced in the past at Hatwa village on borders of Prayagraj and Kaushambi several times. But despite specific inputs, the raids have been unsuccessful as village women have opposed the raids and door to door search operation.
“Shaista and other accused could be taking shelter in Hatwa and other adjoining villages. That’s because these rural areas are densely situated and thus provide easier options to escape from one house to another. Police cannot enter each house unless there are specific inputs about presence of the accused,” a police source said.
