"Message to criminals..." Keshav Prasad Maurya hails UP STF on police encounter of Atiq Ahmed's son

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], April 13 : Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya hailed the state Special Task Force on the encounter of former MP Atiq Ahmed's son Asad and his aide in Jhansi on Thursday, and termed the action, "message to criminals".

While speaking to , Maurya said, "I congratulate UP STF for this action. Police fired in retaliation after they (Asad and his aide Ghulam) fired upon them."

"It is a message to criminals that this is the new India. It is Yogi govt in UP, not Samajwadi Party in power which gave protection to criminals," he said.

Earlier in a tweet, Maurya said that the killers of Umesh Pal and police personnel had to meet this fate.

"Congratulations to UP STF, this was the fate of the killers of Umesh Pal Advocate and police personnel!" the Deputy Chief Minister tweeted in Hindi.

Earlier today, Asad was killed along with Ghulam, both of whom were wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case of Prayagraj.

Each of them carried a reward of Rupees five lakhs each. The police said that foreign-made weapons were recovered.

"Asad, son of mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and Ghulam S/o Maksudan, both wanted in Umesh Pal murder case of Prayagraj and carrying a reward of Rupees five lakhs each; killed in an encounter with the UPSTF team led by DySP Navendu and DySP Vimal at Jhansi. Sophisticated foreign-made weapons recovered," UP STF said.

Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were brought to the CJM Court in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh this morning.