After the accused in the Umesh Pal murder case were killed in encounters, Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav on Tuesday expressed apprehension that the police would kill one of the sons of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed in a fake encounter in a few days.

The SP leader alleged that the police are under pressure from the top as they are unable to find the actual culprit and that is why they will kill whoever they can find. Yadav’s remark came after the accused, allegedly linked to the murder of Umesh Pal were killed in an encounter with the Uttar Pradesh Police.

Umesh Pal and one of his two armed security escorts were shot dead in Prayagraj’s Sulem Saray area on February 24. Several rounds were fired and bombs were hurled at Umesh and his gunners.

“When they are not getting actual culprits, they are under pressure from the top. They will kill whoever they can find…They nabbed Atiq Ahmed’s two sons, one of them will be killed in a few days…You will see,” said Yadav.

“When our Constitution gives the fundamental right to live, then you cannot take someone’s life. There is no other way than the legal way. People can be killed in encounters but after the arrest, if they are killed in encounters, then it is a punishable offence,” he added.

Ahmed, who is the main accused in the 2005 murder case, is lodged in Gujarat jail. He was recently booked in connection with the killing of Umesh Pal, a key witness in the 2005 murder of BSP MLA Raju Pal.

Earlier, Ahmed’s wife, BSP leader Shaista Parveen, filed a plea before Allahabad District Court claiming that her two sons were taken away by the police. She said there has been no update on them ever since.

Two accused named Arbaaz and Vijay Chowdhary alias Usman were killed in an encounter with the Uttar Pradesh Police on February 27 and March 6 respectively.

Prayagraj Police conducted a raid at Atiq Ahmed’s residence in the Mahanagar area of Lucknow, seizing two luxury cars from the Universal Apartments.

The raids were conducted on February 27 late night, sources said, adding that the action followed a shootout in which the prime witness in the murder of BSP MLA Raju Pal, advocate Umesh Pal, was shot dead in Prayagraj on February 24.

The police conducted the raid after receiving an input that some shooters had taken shelter in that apartment. However, they had left the place before the raid, police sources said.