Umesh Pal’s killers laid low in Prayagraj for two hours after the attack before fleeing in two getaway cars, said sources.
New Delhi,UPDATED: Mar 4, 2023 13:31 IST
A screengrab from the Prayagraj shootout CCTV footage.
By India Today News Desk: The shooters that killed Umesh Pal, the prime witness in the 2005 BSP MLA Raju Pal murder case last Friday, hid in Prayagraj for two hours after the attack before fleeing in two getaway SUVs, said sources.
They said the vehicles were sent to them beforehand as a part of a backup plan.
According to sources, an SUV was caught on the CCTV camera installed at the Raebareli toll plaza around 8 pm the same night. However, police haven’t been able to trace the shooters yet.
ALSO READ | Plot hatched in Bareilly jail, attackers met in hostel: How Umesh Pal’s murder was executed
Police have named 40 people in the murder case so far. However, the prime conspirators, including Atiq Ahmed, Khalid Azim aka Ashraf (Atiq’s brother), Shaista Parveen (Atiq’s wife), Mohammad Asad (Atiq’s son), Arbaaz (Atiq’s driver), Guddu Muslim (bomber), Ghulam (Atiq’s shooter), Shabir (Atiq’s shooter), Sadaqat Khan (aide and conspirator), are yet to be nabbed.
According to the police, the entire story of the Umesh Pal murder case in Prayagraj revolves around the characters associated with Atiq Ahmed. The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) has revealed the identity of these characters and their roles in the murder case.
ALSO READ | Who is Guddu Muslim, Umesh Pal murder accused who uses bombs not bullets
Atiq Ahmed, who is currently in Sabarmati jail in Ahmedabad, is believed to have ordered the shooting in Prayagraj and the murder of Umesh Pal. The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force’s investigation has revealed that the murder plot was hatched by Atiq Ahmed while he was in Sabarmati jail in Gujarat, and he took the help of his brother and his associates to execute it.
The STF contacted the jail administration to interrogate Atiq Ahmed’s brother and the accused, Khalid Azim aka Ashraf (Atiq’s brother), who was involved in the murder case and was lodged in Bareilly jail.
