While the Border Security Force (BSF) in Punjab is busy tackling the ‘drone menace’, it has come to notice that the recent spurt of drones carrying arms and ammunition from across the border might have some connection to jailed Uttar Pradesh (UP) gangster turned politician Atiq Ahmed.
In its remand copy to the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court in Prayagraj in the Umesh Pal murder case, the UP Police has claimed that Atiq has connections with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
According to UP police, Atiq used to get arms and ammunition from ISI and LeT through drones. “Drones were used to carry arms and ammunition from across the border and dropped along the international border in Punjab,” UP police said.
“While local connections used to collect those drops and mostly send it to terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, some of them are also passed on to Atiq,” UP police said in its remand copy.
It is a big revelation by the UP police as the drone sightings have increased in recent times despite increased vigilance from the BSF jawans.
The revelations also show how connected the former Samajwadi Party (SP) MP is and the extent of his terror links.
Atiq and his brother Ashraf were sent to 7-day police remand after he was produced before the CJM court. Atiq’s lawyer has opposed the police remand on the health remand and has pleaded for a maximum of a three-day police remand.
Atiq was brought to court along with his brother, former MLA Ashraf, amid tight security. Prayagraj police had sought their custody remand to question them, officials said. The UP Police claimed to have found sufficient evidence of the duo’s involvement in the Umesh Pal murder case.
On April 12, UP police brought Atiq and Ashraf to Prayagraj’s Naini Jail from Sabarmati Jail and Bareilly Jail respectively.
Earlier, Ashraf, along with Atiq, was held guilty in the Umesh Pal kidnapping case by Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj MP-MLA Court on March 28. The court had also sentenced Atiq to rigorous life imprisonment in the abduction case of the late Umesh Pal.