Atiq Ahmad requests magistrate's permission to attend funeral of his son Asad

Prayagraj: Atiq Ahmad, a gangster-turned-politician who is currently being held by the police in connection with the murder of Umesh Pal, has asked a magistrate for permission to attend the funeral of his son Asad, who was murdered in a police encounter.

Since Friday was a holiday due to Ambedkar Jayanti, the request has been filed to the remand magistrate, according to Ahmed's lawyer Manish Khanna. On Saturday, he said, the application will be brought before the chief judicial magistrate.

Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf were interrogated by the police at Dhoomanganj police station on Friday. The duo were taken for a routine medical examination later in the evening.

Asad and his accomplice Ghulam, both wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case, were shot dead in an exchange of fire with the Uttar Pradesh Police near Jhansi on Thursday.

The alleged encounter took place apparently at the time Ahmad was in a Prayagraj court, where he was presented before the chief judicial magistrate in connection with the same murder and remanded to 14-day judicial custody. The court also allowed a five-day remand for the UP Police to question him.

The relatives of Ahmed and Ghulam reached Jhansi on Friday evening to collect the bodies. The bodies will be brought by road and are expected to reach Prayagraj on Saturday. On Friday evening, a large number of people gathered in Atiq Ahmed’s locality Kasari Masari following rumours that Asad’s body was being brought to Prayagraj. However, since the body has not been handed over to the relatives till late Friday evening, it is expected that the last rites would be performed on Saturday.

A police official said additional force would be deployed during Asad’s last rites so that no untoward incident takes place.

With PTI inputs