Encounter in UP: Accused of Umesh Pal murder case killed in Paryagraj

In a new development in the Umesh Pal murder case, an accused identified as Arbaaz was killed in an encounter with the Prayagraj police on Monday. Umesh Pal was the main witness in the Raju Pal murder case and his evidence was crucial to the case. The encounter took place at Nehru Park in Dhoomanganj area when the police were searching for the accused in the Umesh Pal murder case. Cops reached Nehru Park on a tip-off.

According to reports, Arbaaz was a close aide of former Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Atiq Ahmad. Police said Arbaaz was driving the car at the time Umesh Pal was murdered. Atiq was named as an accused in the Umesh Pal murder case. Atiq Ahmad's wife Shaista Parveen recently wrote a letter to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath demanding a CBI probe into the incident.

In the letter, Parveen claimed that she and her family had nothing to do with the murders, adding that a high-level investigation would clear all doubts. Atiq Ahmad, his brother Ashraf, his two sons and wife Shaista Parveen have been accused in the murder case. Parveen also uploaded the letter on the Chief Minister's portal.  Meanwhile, Atiq's lawyer, Khan Saulat Haneef, argued that there was a threat to the lives of the former MP's two sons, a concern Parveen also highlighted in her letter. Atiq's two sons were kept in police custody. Haneef further said that the police conspired to kill the inmate Atiq and his brother Ashraf. Shaista said she would approach the court to seek safety for her family.

Recently, Shaista joined the Bahujan Samaj Party. On the other hand, Puja Pal, Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA, whose husband Raju Pal was allegedly murdered by brother Atiq Ahmad Ashraf in 2005, has written to Yogi seeking better security cover for herself. Referring to Umesh Pal's murder, Puja Pal said that she now fears for her life.