UP: 2 including a prison official arrested for facilitating meeting between Atiq Ahmed's jailed brother, his aides

The Uttar Pradesh Police on Tuesday arrested two people including a prison official for allegedly facilitating meets between jailed former MLA Mohammad Ashraf alias Khalid Azim, the younger brother of gangster-turned-politician and former Samajwadi Party leader Atiq Ahmed, and his aides.

The accused have been identified as Dayaram and Shiv Hari Awasthi.

Akhilesh Chaurasia, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Bareilly said, "Irregularities have come to the fore. Ashraf's brother-in-law Saddam used to meet him in jail with the help of jail guard Shiv Hari Awasthi."

SSP Bareilly further said that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to investigate the matter thoroughly and ffforts are being made to arrest Saddam.

"Dayaram, who supplies vegetables to the jail, used to take other outside items to Ashraf. Dayaram and Shiv Hari Awasthi have been arrested. SIT has been formed to investigate the matter thoroughly. Efforts are being made to arrest Saddam," he added.

Notably, Ashraf has been in the Bareilly district jail since July 2020 and Atiq Ahmed, who is the main accused in the 2005 murder case, is lodged in Gujarat jail. Atiq and Ashraf were recently booked in connection with the killing of Umesh Pal, a key witness in the 2005 murder of BSP MLA Raju Pal.

Earlier, Prayagraj Police conducted a raid at Atiq Ahmed's residence in the Mahanagar area of Lucknow, seizing two luxury cars from the Universal Apartments.

Umesh Pal, the prime witness in the 2005 murder of BSP MLA Raju Pal, and his two security personnel were shot dead in Prayagraj on February 24.

The raids were conducted on February 27 late night, sources said, adding that the action followed a shootout in which the prime witness in the murder of BSP MLA Raju Pal, advocate Umesh Pal, was shot dead in Prayagraj on February 24.

The police conducted the raid after receiving an input that some shooters had taken shelter in that apartment. However, they had left the place before the raid, police sources said.

Meanwhile, an accused, in the Umesh Pal murder case, was killed in an encounter with the Uttar Pradesh Police on Monday.

Vijay Chowdhary alias Usman was killed in the encounter that took place in Kaundhiyara in Prayagraj.

( With inputs from ANI )