The man who fired the first shot at Umesh Pal, a key witness in the killing of former BSP legislator Raju Pal, was gunned down in an encounter with Prayagraj police early on Monday, officials said.
Vijay Chaudhary alias Usman suffered bullet injuries in his neck, chest and thigh during the encounter, police said.
The encounter took place between Gothi and Belwa under the Kaundhiyara police station area around 5.30 a.m., Dhoomanganj Station House Officer Rajesh Kumar Maurya said.
Usman’s wife Suhani has accused the police of killing him in a “fake encounter” after picking him up earlier on Monday.
Constable Narendra Pal also suffered injuries to his hand during the encounter and had been admitted to the local community health centre, Additional Director General, Law and Order, Prashant Kumar told reporters.
Police said the gang members of the gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed, the main accused in the 2005 Raju Pal murder case who is lodged in a Gujarat jail currently, gave Vijay Chaudhary his second name "Usman". His brother Rakesh Chaudhary is lodged in Naini Central Jail and a dozen of cases, including murder, have been registered against him.
Police said Usman was the one who fired the first shot at Umesh Pal on February 24 outside his home in Dhoomanganj. While Umesh Pal succumbed the same day, his two security personnel died later during treatment.
A video of the killing of Umesh Pal in broad daylight had gone viral on social media and raised questions about the law and order in Uttar Pradesh. Following the incident, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath vowed in the Assembly that he would destroy the mafia in the State.
Mr. Kumar said, "A shooter involved in the February 24 incident was injured in an encounter with police in Prayagraj. He was rushed for treatment to a hospital, where he died." Usman carried a reward of ₹50,000 for his arrest, he said adding that a .32 bore pistol and cartridges were recovered from him.
"His video was shown in media. This is a big achievement. We have made it clear that strict action will be taken against those involved [in the killing] and those who hatched the conspiracy. Separate teams are working on the case," the ADG said.
On February 27, Arbaz, who allegedly drove the SUV of the killers of Umesh Pal, was killed in an encounter with the police in Prayagraj and one Sadakat was arrested.
"Our government is determined to take strict action against those involved in this case. We will nab each and every accused and give them the strict punishment under the law," Deputy Chief Minister Brijesh Pathak told reporters on Monday.
"How fearless criminals have become that they are not desisting from attacking even the police. Came to know this morning itself that a miscreant was killed in an encounter," he added.
Talking to reporters, Usman’s wife alleged that the police took away her husband and father-in-law in the morning and confiscated their mobile phones.
She said that on February 24, the day of Umesh Pal's killing, her husband, who runs his own vehicle at a cement company, had left the house saying he had to leave for work.
Umesh Pal's wife Jaya had filed a complaint against Atiq Ahmed, his brother Ashraf, wife Shaista Parveen, two sons, aides Guddu Muslim and Ghulam and nine others at Dhoomanganj police station for the murder of her husband.
The accused have been booked under IPC Sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with a deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of the offence committed in prosecution of common object), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) and provisions of the Explosive Substances Act and the Criminal Law Amendment Act.
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