How UP Police planned ‘Operation Jhansi’ to corner Atiq Ahmed’s son Asad
Since Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adiyanath’s “iss mafia ko mitti me mila denge” (will reduce this mafia to dust) statement in the assembly on February 25, state police has gunned down four people linked to Umesh Pal’s murder case, with Atiq Ahmed’s son Asad Ahmed and his aide Ghulam Hasan being the latest.
But the Thursday operation in Jhansi was reportedly the result of meticulous planning.
Top points on how ‘operation Jhansi’ was carried out:
1. The Uttar Pradesh Police said it had received tip-off that Asad and his aide Ghulam were planning to attack the police convoy carrying Atiq Ahmed to help to escape the gangster-turned-politician was being brought to UP for a court hearing in the Umesh Pal murder case. The plan was foiled by the UP Special Task Force.
2. UP’s special director general (law and order) Prashant Kumar revealed that teams of civil police and special forces were deployed following the intelligence inputs of the plan by Asad to free his father.
3. Based on the information, two teams were deployed and Asad was intercepted, while he was on a bike along with his aide Ghulam, Kumar said.
4. Action was taken based on the information and around 12:30pm and 1pm the duo were killed in a retaliatory firing, Kumar said, adding that the STF conducted the entire operation.
5. The Times of India reported that the STF was already tracking the developments in Jhansi as it came to know that a hideout of Guddu Muslim, an aide of Atiq Ahmed and one of the accused in the Umesh Pal murder case, was near the forest area leading to Parichha power plant, a kilometre from where the encounter took place.
6. A senior police official told the newspaper that as a ploy to divert their attention, heavy force was deployed near Jhansi border from April 11 when Atiq Ahmed was being brought to Prayagraj while a special police team in civilian clothes was surveying the area near Guddu’s hideout.
7. A small team was deployed secretly near the area of Parichha power plant with surveillance and technical assistance from headquarters. The team was headed by a DIG-rank officer.
8. “On April 12, night activity at the hideout of Guddu Muslim was witnessed which alerted us and teams were stationed near the four routes,” ToI quoted the officer as saying. Afterwards, a team equipped with bulletproof jackets was designated to confront any potential threats head-on, while another team was tasked with scouting potential escape routes to neighbouring districts and conducting inspections.
9. On Thursday, the police said, the encounter occurred at 12.45pm when two teams intercepted Asad, 19, and Ghulam, 40, on the Kanpur-Jhansi highway.
10. The police said one British Bulldog Revolver .455 bore and Walther P88 7.63 bore pistol were recovered from Asad and Ghulam.