Prayagraj: A shooter of slain mafia-politician Atiq Ahmed, Arman, who was wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case, was produced by the Uttar Pradesh Police before the sessions court in Prayagraj on Monday. He was brought from Gaya Jail in Bihar on transit remand under tight security.The SC/ST sessions court accepted his transit remand and provided him with a copy of the accusations against him. The court directed that he be produced again after 14 days. Arman requested that a counsel be provided to him, which the court accepted and directed that arrangements be made for a counsel on the next date.After accepting the transit remand, the court directed that Arman be sent back to Gaya Jail. Now, it is for the court to decide whether the next hearing will take place through video conferencing or in person.According to district govt counsel (criminal) Manoj Pandey, the police had not moved any application seeking police custody remand of the accused, Arman.After the murder of Umesh Pal on Feb 24, 2023, Arman surrendered before a court in Gaya four days later (on Feb 27, 2023) in connection with an old criminal case.In Prayagraj, the police had announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh on his head and had been looking for him for the last three years. Later, when the police came to know about his whereabouts after three years, it moved a transit remand application before the Gaya court. The court accepted the application, following which he was released from Gaya Jail into police custody.Thereafter, the police produced him before the SC/ST sessions court in Prayagraj, which accepted its remand application. The trial in the Umesh Pal murder case is currently underway in a Prayagraj sessions court.Umesh and his two police security guards, Sandeep Nishad and Raghvendra Singh, were shot dead on February 24, 2023, outside his home in the Dhoomanganj police station area of Prayagraj.On a complaint lodged by Umesh’s wife, Jaya, a criminal case was registered at Dhoomanganj police station against Atiq, his brother Ashraf, his two sons, aides Guddu Muslim and Gulam, and nine others. Arman is also an accused in this case.Subsequently, Atiq’s third son, Asad, who was also an accused in the case, was killed in a police encounter.Later, on April 15, 2023, Atiq and his brother Ashraf were also killed when they were being brought to Colvin Hospital in police custody for a routine medical check-up.
