Prayagraj murder: Accused who drove assailants to crime spot killed in police encounter

The Uttar Pradesh police on Monday shot dead the accused involved in the stunt! the killing of a witness to a murder in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. The deceased, identified as Arbaaz, was driving the assailants who murdered Umesh Pal in broad daylight on Friday last week. The encounter took place near the city's Nehru Park.

Shalabh Mani Tripathi, an MLA from the ruling BJP, shared a video of the accused being brought to the hospital after the encounter. However, Arbaaz succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. “Mitti mein milane ka abhiyaan shuru. One of the killers of Umesh Pal shot dead in police encounter, Jai Ho!!” tweeted Tripathi, the BJP legislator (Disclaimer: Viewer discretion advised).

“Mafia logon ko mitti mein mila dunga (I will bury the mafia under the sand)," Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath – known for his law and order image – had thundered in the state assembly a day after the crime, as the opposition tried to corner his government over the incident.

The Uttar Pradesh government has accused jailed don Atiq Ahmed of orchestrating the attack on Umesh Pal, a witness in the January 2005 killing of BSP MLA Raju Pal. A gunner of Umesh Pal also died in the attack, which left the second gunner critically injured.