Day after Prayagraj murder, former MP, wife & their son named in FIR

Family members of Umesh Pal on Saturday. Vishal Srivastav

Following a complaint by Umesh alias Krishna Kumar Pal’s wife Jaya, a case was registered at Dhoomanganj police station on Saturday under charges of murder, attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy and rioting, among others, and under sections of The Explosives Act.

While Ahmed is lodged in a Gujarat jail, Ashraf is in Bareilly central jail.

Prayagraj Deputy Commissioner of Police Deepak Bhuker said that raids are being conducted to trace the accused booked in the FIR and those whose names have come to light during the investigation. No one has been arrested in the case so far, he added. Sources said the police have detained a few people for questioning.

According to the police, Jaya said that her husband Umesh was an eyewitness to the murder of BSP MLA Raju Pal, which took place on January 25, 2005. In 2006, she alleged, Ahmed and his associates kidnapped Umesh and forced him to give a statement in their favour in court.

Umesh lodged an FIR on the kidnapping. The trial in the kidnapping case was going on in a local Prayagraj court and the defence lawyer was conducting arguments. On Friday, she said, Umesh and his police guards had gone to court in a car. After attending the hearing, her husband left the court to return to their home in Jayantipur. At around 5 pm, she alleged, when they had almost reached home, Ahmed’s sons Guddu Muslim and Ghulam, and others, came from behind, opened fire and hurled crude bombs at them. Umesh and the guards suffered serious injuries while car driver Pradeep Sharma was unhurt, she claimed.

Jaya also said that on witnessing the attack on CCTV from inside the house, she ran outside. In the meantime, the assailants left by threatening to kill people who came in their way, she said. Umesh’s family members and neighbours rushed the injured to the hospital where doctors declared Umesh and Nishad dead, she added.