Uttar Pradesh Police declared Guddu Muslim, a member of the slain gangster Atiq Ahmed’s gang and an accused in the Umesh Pal murder case an absconder on Tuesday and announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh for his arrest. Meanwhile, on Monday Atiq Ahmed’s wife Shaista Parveen was declared a fugitive and a reward of Rs 50,000 was also announced on her.
UP police pasted a notice under CrPC Section 82 at Guddu Muslim’s house in Prayagraj’s Lala Ki Sarai area, warning the locals not to shelter or help him. Police also pasted a similar notice on the walls of Parveen’s house in Chakia, which is registered in the name of Zafar Ahmed, the brother-in-law of Ahmed’s lawyer Khan Shaulat Hanif.
Guddu Muslim and Shahista Praveen are the suspects in Umesh Pal’s murder, who was the main witness in the 2005 murder of BSP MLA Raju Pal. Umesh Pal and his two security guards were shot dead on February 24 this year following which a case was registered on February 25 against Shahista Parveen, Atiq Ahmed, his brother Ashraf, two sons, aides Guddu Muslim and Ghulam and nine others for the murder.
Atiq Ahmed, a former Samajwadi Party MP, had over 100 cases registered against him, but he was only convicted for the first time on March 28. He and two others were found guilty of kidnapping Umesh Pal in 2006 and given life sentences by the court.
On April 15, while he was being taken to a medical college for a checkup, three men who pretended to be journalists shot him and his associate Ashraf at close range. The shooting happened in front of the media and the police who were escorting them.