There are several unanswered questions that clearly expose the negligence on the part of the Prayagraj Police in providing foolproof security to mafia don Atiq Ansari and his brother Ashraf, who were shot dead by three youths outside Colvin hospital on Saturday night.
On the other hand, Ashraf’s lawyer Vijay Mishra, on Monday, claimed that a sealed letter would soon reach UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in which the name of the person behind the killing of Atiq and Ashraf has been written.
“Ashraf had told me that if ever he is killed, this sealed envelope will reach the UP CM,” the lawyer said.
Ashraf too, while coming from Bareilly jail last week, had informed the media persons that an officer had given him a death threat.
However, the murder of Atiq Ahmed and Ashraf, who were taken on a remand for questioning in the Umesh Pal murder case, is believed to be the result of police negligence. There was a police mistake at every step.
Many questions have arisen on the neglect of security after Atiq and Ashraf were brought from Sabarmati Jail and from Bareilly Jail were taken on custody remand. During the remand, where even the mafia don and his brother’s lawyer were allowed to stay 100 meters away by the court, how were the media persons allowed to question at the hospital gate before the medical examination? But there is no answer to it.
Similarly, during the production of Atiq, who was under security cover of more than one thousand police-PAC and RAF personnel, brought from jail in a prison van with a biometric lock. But during police remand, he, along with his brother, travelled around in an ordinary jeep of Dhumanganj police station for two days.
Not only this, the police were also seen walking in a jeep with Atiq-Ashraf in the Kasari-Masari forest to recover the weapons used in the Umesh Pal murder case. During this, the hands of both the brothers were tied in the chain of the same handcuffs.
The CJM court, while approving the remand of both, has written in its order that medical examination and corona test of both will be done before taking them from judicial custody to police custody and then while handing over from police custody to judicial custody. But, for three consecutive nights, the police kept on taking Atiq-Ashraf for medical examination.
In such a scenario, questions are being raised about the reasons for repeated medical tests. On the question of taking Atiq and his brother to Colvin Hospital for medical examination without justification, Dhumanganj Inspector Rajesh Kumar Maurya said that their health had deteriorated. Atiq was seen talking in a smooth manner till a few seconds before the shootout at the hospital gate.
Ashraf also did not mention any health-related problem. There was no such situation that both the brothers should have been taken to a hospital. The most important question is that the vehicle could have come to the emergency medical room inside the gate at Colvin Hospital for medical examination, but both were allowed to speak to the media on the road.
Not only this, this kind of negligence came to light when two days ago, after appearing in the CJM court, an attempt was made to attack Atiq and Ashraf from the middle of the crowd. Some people were seen openly talking about settling the scores. In such a situation, it proved easy for the shooters to succeed in their plan to reach the hospital premises with the hands of both the mafia don and his brother tied by the same handcuffs. This was the reason that as soon as Atiq fell after the first bullet hit his head, Ashraf, being bound in the same handcuffs, also fell down due to the stretching of his body and bullets rained down on both of them.
Another question arose whether the disclosure of the secret related to bomber Guddu Muslim did not become the reason for this murdersb because Ashraf had taken the name of Guddu Muslim just before he was gunned down.
Guddu Muslim, a resident of Chakia, is a notorious criminal and also has a reward of Rs five lakhs. In the Umesh Pal murder case, where five shooters were seen firing bullets, Guddu was seen carrying bombs in his bag. It was he who blew up Umesh’s gunner Raghavendra.
Guddu has been absconding since the murder of Umesh on February 24 and the police have not been able to nab him. Ashraf wanted to say something about Guddu Muslim just before the shootout took place on April 15 at Colvin Hospital. He was about to say something important by taking the name of Guddu Muslim, when he was shot. The question arises what was the secret related to Guddu Muslim, which got buried with the death of Ashraf. This was the first time after the Umesh Pal murder case, when Ashraf wanted to say something by taking the name of a shooter.
Ashraf, on way to Prayagraj from Bareilly Jail, for production on March 28, made sensational allegations. He had said he was threatened with murder by a senior police officer. The officer said in two weeks, on some pretext, he will be taken out of jail and killed.
Ashraf had also said that this threat was given to him in Prayagraj. He, however, refused to name the officer, but said that he was threatened in the presence of policemen deputed on his security in the prison van
Ashraf had reportedly assured the police officials that he would hand over the three shooters to them. He had made this promise while coming from Bareilly Jail to the Prayagraj court for verdict in the Umesh Pal kidnapping case.
However, he took a U- turn as soon as he boarded the police van to go back to Bareilly. He told the policemen in the van that he would not hand over the shooters to the police under any circumstances. It was only after this that the police gave full force in search of Asad and other shooters and after that Asad and Ghulam were killed in the encounter.