Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak on Friday lashed out at the opposition parties for extending support to criminals after gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahemd's son Asad, and another accused, Ghulam, were killed in an encounter by the Special Task Force (STF) on Thursday.
While speaking to ANI, Brajesh Pathak said, "We have a policy of zero tolerance, we will not spare any criminal. The people of the state are looking at parties standing in support of the criminals. They will not forgive them."
"As the findings come, we will proceed forward. The matter is in the hands of the court. Whatever the decision of the court is, we will follow it. According to the police investigation being done under CrPC, all the facts will be collected and a chargesheet will be filed," Pathak added.
Hours after Asad was killed in an encounter Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav termed it a "fake encounter" and alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state was seeking to divert attention from real issues.
"By doing fake encounters, the BJP government is trying to divert attention from the real issues. The BJP does not believe in the court at all. Today's and recent encounters should also be thoroughly investigated and the culprits should not be spared. Right, and wrong is not decided by those in power. BJP is against the brotherhood," Yadav, a former chief minister, said in a tweet.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also chaired a high-level meeting on the law and order situation after the incident. CM Yogi also lauded the Special Task Force (STF) team.
CM Yogi also lauded the Special Task Force (STF) team. Later, State Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya hailed the STF for the encounter and termed the action, a "message to criminals".
"I congratulate UP STF for this action. Police fired in retaliation after they (Asad and his aide Ghulam) fired upon them," Maurya told ANI.
"It is a message to criminals that this is the new India. It is the Yogi government in UP, not Samajwadi Party in power which gave protection to criminals," he said.
Asad and Ghulam were wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case and were killed in an encounter by Uttar Pradesh STF in Jhansi on Thursday.
Uttar Pradesh Police on Thursday brought Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf to Dhoomanganj Police Station in Prayagraj after Prayagraj Chief Judicial Magistrate court sent them to four-day police custody. The police custody of the duo started from 5 pm on April 13 till 5 pm on April 17.
Earlier Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were brought to the CJM Court in Prayagraj on Thursday morning.
The Uttra Pradesh Police chargesheet filed before the court mentioned a recorded statement of Atiq Ahmed.
"...I have no dearth of weapons because I have direct connections with Pakistan's ISI and terror organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba. Weapons from Pakistan are dropped on the Punjab border with the help of drones and local connection collects them. Terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir get weapons from this consignment. If you take me with you, I can help you recover that money and arms and ammunition used in the incident," the chargesheet said citing Atiq.
Meanwhile, the body of Atiq Ahmed's son Asad and his aide Ghulam will be brought to Prayagraj from Jhansi today.
Asad's body will be received by his maternal kin and will be taken to a family graveyard at Kasari Masari in Prayagraj for burial.
Each of them carried a reward of Rs 5 lakhs. The police said that foreign-made weapons were recovered. While talking to ANI, Mohammad Arshad (staff at the graveyard) said, "This is Kasari Masari graveyard. No one has contacted us yet, but since it is a village matter, we are making preparations. All the villagers will come. Atiq's father was also buried in the same graveyard." —ANI