Lucknow: Cracking down on the assailants in the Prayagraj shootout, district police on Monday claimed to have killed Usman in an encounter. Prayagraj police said that Usman alias Vijay was one among the shooters who had fired bullets and hurled bombs killing Umesh Pal, main witness in the legislator Raju Pal murder case.
Two police gunners deployed in the security of Umesh Pal were also injured in the shootout and later succumbed to death. Former MP and noted Don Atiq Ahmad is the prime accused in the Raju Pal murder case.
Usman's wife claims husband was innocent
Meanwhile Suhani, the wife of Usman alias Vijay, has belied the claims of Prayagraj police and said that it is a deliberate killing. She said that her husband’s name was Vijay Choudhury and not Usman as is being claimed by Police. Besides, he never converted into Islam, another claim made by Prayagraj police. Suhani said her husband was a driver and was very much at home on the day the sensational shootout took place. On the claims of Vijay absconding, Suhani said that it is not true. 'My husband was at home even on Monday morning and had left for work as usual after which I came to know about his encounter’, said the wife.
The sister and father of the deceased shooter claimed that Vijay was innocent and had nothing to do with any crime. Father Virendra Choudhury said that none of the police stations of Prayagraj had any criminal case lodged against his son.
Meanwhile the Additional Director General (ADG), Law and Order, Prashant Kumar informed that the shooter killed in the encounterhad a criminal past. He was the one who first opened fire on Umesh Pal and police had announced a cash reward of Rs 50000 on him.
The wife of deceased Umesh Pal, who was prime witness in the Raju Pal murder case, has lodged an FIR against family members of Atiq Ahmad along with close aides of former MP. The Prayagraj police have killed one of the assailants, Arbaaz in an encounter on Tuesday last and arrested one Sadaqat who was driving a car carrying assailants.
ADG, L&O, said that the person killed in the encounter is Usman as being identified by Sadaqat who is under police custody. According to local police officials, Vijay Choudhury had adopted Islam in 2020 after joining Atiq Ahmad gang and marrying Suhani.
Another accused gunned down last week
Arbaaz, an accused in the Umesh Pal murder case, was killed in an encounter with the police on Monday last week. Dhoomanganj police station SHO Rajesh Maurya also suffered injuries in the encounter.
According to police officials Arbaaz, a close aide of noted mafia and former MP, Atiq Ahmad, was moving on a bike with two other persons in the Nehru Park area. When police tried to stop, he opened fire and was killed in the encounter. Two of his aides managed to escape and police are carrying out search operations in the area to find them.
Arbaaz, according to Prayagraj police, was driving the car that was used in the shootout to carry the killers. Along with Ali, the son of Atiq Ahmad, Ahmad Qasim and Gulam, Arbaaz too was named in the FIR lodged after the shootout.
BJP MLA confirms accused shot dead
BJP MLA Dr Salabh Mani Tripathi took it to his Twitter and informed that Usman was shot dead by the UP police in an encounter. He also mentioned that Usman was the one who fired the first round at Umesh Pal and his security guard Sandeep Nishad.
"It was said that we will mix them in the soil!! Usman, the dreaded killer who fired the first shot at Umesh Pal and Sandeep Nishad, was also killed in a police encounter today," tweeted Tripathi.
Doctors confirm Usman's death
Soon after the encounter, Usman was brought to a hospital, Dr Badri Vishal Singh, Emergency Medical Officer of Swaroop Rani Nehru Hospital, Prayagraj confirmed Usman's death after following the necessary medical examinations. He also stated that the body was sent to the mortuary.
Patient Usman was brought dead. We performed the examinations following which he was declared dead & the body was sent to the mortuary. He was shot..," said Dr Badri Vishal Singh.
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