Atiq Ahmed, brother Ashraf questioned on weapons; UP ATS joins probe on Pak, Lashkar ‘links’

In their application, Prayagraj police also stated that Atiq had purportedly admitted that he had no dearth of weapons, and that arms and ammunition originating from Pakistan are dropped on the Punjab border with the help of drones. Local connections allegedly collect them thereafter, he has purportedly told the police.

On Friday evening, a police team had taken Atiq and Ashraf to an area on the boundary between Prayagraj and Kaushambi districts to verify some facts, sources said, not divulging details. They were subsequently brought back to the police station late at night.

The four-day police custody of Atiq and Ashraf began on Thursday and will continue until 5 pm Monday.

Meanwhile, bodies of Atiq’s son Asad Ahmed and his associate Ghulam Hussain were brought to Prayagraj by road under heavy police security on Saturday morning for their burial. UP Police’s Special Task Force had on Thursday killed Asad and Ghulam in an encounter. The two were carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh each in the Umesh Pal murder case.

Family members of Asad and Ghulam had gone to Jhansi to claim the bodies, which were supposed to reach on Friday evening but completing postmortem formalities led to the delay, a police official said.

Asad’s body was taken straight to the graveyard in Kasari Masari village, where Atiq’s father Feroz Ahmed had been buried. There was heavy police deployment in and outside the graveyard.

Asad’s body was buried in the presence of his relatives, including his maternal grandfather. Barring relatives, no one, including the media, was allowed into the graveyard.

Ghulam’s burial took place in Mehenddauri area.

Earlier, Ghulam’s family, including his mother, had refused to claim the body — the family had justified the police action of killing him in an encounter.