In a surprising development in the murder case of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed, his lawyer presented a "secret letter" allegedly written by Ahmed two weeks before his death.
The letter was addressed to the Supreme Court of India, with Ahmed requesting that it be delivered to the court in the event of his death.
Letter and its contents
Ahmed's letter has created a stir in the ongoing investigation, as it contains information that could potentially shed light on the motive behind his murder.
While the contents of the letter have not been made public, it is believed to contain details about the circumstances surrounding the murder of Umesh Pal, which Ahmed and his brother Ashraf Ahmed were accused of masterminding.
Murder and Ahmed's earlier expressions of fear
Ahmed and his brother were shot dead at point-blank range by three men while in police custody in Prayagraj.
The brothers had been brought to Prayagraj from Gujarat's Sabarmati jail for a court hearing in connection with the Umesh Pal murder case.
Earlier, while stepping out of Sabarmati jail, Ahmed had shouted "hatya, hatya" (murder) to reporters, expressing fear that he might be killed in an encounter. He had also filed a plea in the Supreme Court to get his visit to Uttar Pradesh for a court hearing stalled, claiming a threat to his life in a "fake encounter" following the murder of Umesh Pal.
The emergence of Ahmed's letter has raised questions about the possibility of a larger conspiracy behind his murder. It remains to be seen how the investigation will proceed in light of this new development.
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