Asad Ahmad encounter live updates: Political slugfest over Asad Ahmad encounter reflects parties' 'poll position' in UP

An enraged Yogi had then said that Atiq was sheltered by the SP in the past and his govt would reduce the mafia to dust ('mafia ko mitti mein mil denge')

t took 50 days of meticulous planning, random verification of over 10,000 phone calls, thousands of kilometres of travel across four states to conduct innumerable searches before Atiq's son Asad and his aide Ghulam Mohammed came face to face with the STF sleuths in Jhansi on Thursday afternoon. The exchange of fire that followed ended in Asad and Ghulam Mohammed being killed.

The Asad-Ghulam encounter in Jhansi was not a matter of chance but the result of meticulous planning after the special task force got specific inputs and then joined the dots.

With the killing of Atiq Ahmed's son Asad and his aide Ghulam, wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case, in an encounter with UP Special Task Force in Jhansi on Thursday, a plan was foiled to help the jailed gangster to escape, Uttar Pradesh Police said. State's Special Director General (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar revealed that teams of civil police and special forces were deployed following the intelligence inputs of a plan by Asad of planning to free his father Atiq Ahmed by attacking police convoy midway as the gangster turned politician was being brought in Uttar Pradesh for hearing.

The Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party demanded a through investigation into the death of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad's son Asad in Jhansi on Thursday, alleging that it could be a fake encounter. Hours after police said Asad and his accomplice Ghulam were killed in an encounter, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh was trying to divert attention from real issues with "fake encounters". Soon, BSP supremo Mayawati said the killing could be a repeat of "Vikas Dubey incident".

The Special Task Force (STF) of Uttar Pradesh Police on Thursday termed the encounter of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed's son Asad and another accused Ghulam, wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case, as a "huge success".

"This is a tribute to my son. I thank the chief minister and the police department which discharged their duties," Shanti Devi told reporters in Prayagraj.

Umesh Pal's mother said, "The two gunners who were killed in broad daylight today had committed a sin. They have been punished today. We have faith, we will get complete justice."

Former MP Atiq Ahmad's son Asad and aide were killed in an encounter by UP STF in Jhansi today. They were wanted in lawyer Umesh Pal murder case.

The Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court in Prayagraj has sent gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf to seven-day police remand.

The Prayagraj police produced Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf in the court on Thursday in the Umesh Pal murder case.

The UP Police have found sufficient evidence against the accused named in the Umesh Pal murder case, Atiq Ahmed and Ashraf, as the conspirators in the murder.

On the basis of this, the police had asked for 14 days remand in the court.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting on 'law and order' after the killing of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad's son, Asad, in an encounter.

CM Yogi also lauded the Special Task Force (STF) team which was involved in the shootout.

According to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister's Office, Yogi was apprised about the encounter by the Principal Secretary (Home).

A report was also placed before the Chief Minister on this whole matter.

Shanti Devi, mother of slain lawyer Umesh Pal on Thursday thanked Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and expressed her full faith in the Uttar Pradesh government, for giving "justice" after gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad's son was shot dead in a police encounter.

"I thank CM Yogi ji for serving justice and I appeal to him to give us justice ahead also. We have full faith in CM," said Shanti Devi, mother of Umesh Pal, the advocate who was killed in broad daylight in Prayagraj earlier this year.

"This is a tribute to my son. I thank the Chief Minister and the police department which discharged their duties," Shanti Devi told reporters in Prayagraj.

Asad along with his associate Ghulam, both of whom were wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case, were shot dead in an encounter with Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force in Jhansi today.

Jaya Devi, Umesh Pal's widow also thanked the chief minister.

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 ANI, 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.

Each of them carried a reward of Rupees five lakhs each.