'Risked Own Lives, Tried To Catch Them Alive': Police in FIR on Asad's Encounter

Asad Ahmed & Mohd Ghulam, both wanted for the murder of Uttam Pal, were killed in an encounter by UPSTF on 13 April.

The Uttar Pradesh Police, in its FIR registered over the encounter of gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed's son Asad and his associate Mohammad Ghulam, narrated the series of events that led to the killing of the two accused wanted for the murder of Uttam Pal.

The FIR claimed that the teams did their best to "capture them alive" and that the cops carried out the operation "without caring for their own lives."

Umesh Pal – a key witness against Atiq in a 2007 murder case of a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA – was allegedly killed in broad daylight by Asad and his associates. Two security personnel deployed for Pal's protection were also killed in the firing which was captured on CCTV.

The FIR said that the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (UPSTF) had received information that both accused were hiding in Jhansi a night before the encounter on 13 April.

Here are the events that the FIR claimed to have led to the encounter of the two accused:

Key Points From FIR of Encounter

• The UPSTF had received information that Asad and Ghulam were hiding in Jhansi and villages near them.

• A night before the encounter, the police had received information that both of them had been spotted in Chirgaon village of Jhansi.

• After receiving the information, one team was deployed at Chirgaon while another was sent to Badagaon.

• The informant in Chirgaon told the team that Asad and Ghulam had left the village towards Parichha on a red and black Bajaj Discover motorbike without a number plate.

• The team was told that Asad was wearing a white pathaani and a black cap while Ghulam was wearing a dark green t-shirt, and both could be caught if the teams set out on Parichha road.

• After the police teams followed and spotted them near Parichha, the accused were warned to stop their bikes and surrender. However, they increased their speed and took a detour via a service road.

• The bike slipped near a Babool tree following which both of them fell to the ground and started firing at the police personnel.

• The police team took cover and tried to come within their firing range in a bid to capture them alive and "without caring for their own lives." However, the two were firing rampantly at the policemen, the FIR said.

• Both were injured in the exchange of fire and were immediately taken to the Jhansi medical college in two separate ambulances. They were later declared dead at the hospital.

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Burial Ground Fortified for Asad's Last Rites

Meanwhile, Asad Ahmed was buried at a burial ground in UP's Prayagraj on Saturday, 15 April, amid heavy security.

Visuals from the venue showed a fortified complex with monitoring also taking place via drones. Civilians were asked to stay indoors till the burial was conducted, while those allowed to attend the last rites were thoroughly frisked.