Atiq Ahmed pleaded for mercy for his family a day before son’s encounter

However, a day before, the former MLA while speaking to the media inside a police van had said, “I am totally reduced to dust, but please don’t trouble the women and children of my family now.”

Atiq made the statements while being taken from the Sabarmati Central Jail in Ahmedabad to a prison in Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh in connection with the Umesh Pal murder case.

The convoy taking Atiq left the Sabarmati Jail on 11 April and reached the Naini Central Jail in Prayagraj around 6 pm. During the journey, he pleaded the government to spare his family members, who are co-accused in several cases, reported NDTV.

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“Hum aapke jariye government se kehna chahte hain, bulkul mitti me mil gaye hain ab hamari auraoton aur bachchon ko pareshan na karein. (I want to tell the government through you (the media) that I am totally reduced to dust, but please don’t trouble the women and children of my family now,” Ahmad said.

Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had said that “mafiaaon ko mitti me mila denge (will reduce the mafia to dust)”.

Asked about his criminal acts, Ahmed said, “Mafiagiri toh pahle hi samapth ho gyi, ab toh ragada ja raha hai (Mafia-giri has already ended, now I am being hounded).”

On 13 April, a UP STF led by DySP Navendu and DySP Vimal in Jhansi killed Asad and Ghulam who were wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case in Prayagraj and had a reward of ₹5 lakh each. The UP STF also reported the recovery of sophisticated foreign-made weapons — British Bulldog Revolver .455 bore and Walther P88 7.63 bore pistol.

With agency inputs.