Umesh Pal murder wanted accused taken into UP police remand from Bihar jail

The Uttar Pradesh Police on Sunday evening took transit remand of Mohammad Arman, accused in the 2023 murder of advocate Umesh Pal and two policemen in Prayagraj, from Central Jail in Gaya, police said on Monday. The Uttar Pradesh Police had been searching for Arman for three years and had even announced a ₹5 lakh reward for his capture, unaware that Arman was already lodged in jail in neighbouring Bihar in another case.

Arman, a member of slain Prayagraj gangster Atiq Ahmed’s gang, allegedly killed Pal and his two police gunners on February 24, 2023, with the help of Atiq Ahmed’s wife Shaista Parveen, Guddu Muslim—the primary shooter, and other suspects. Pal was the main witness in the murder of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Raju Pal, who was shot dead in Prayagraj on January 25, 2005, allegedly by Atiq Ahmed and his gang members.

Police believe extracting information from Arman will lead to crucial breakthroughs regarding the gang’s fugitive members, including Parveen and Guddu Muslim, a police officer said on condition of anonymity.

Arman, a resident of Kathotara Talab locality in Gaya, had fled to his home town following Pal’s murder while Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath announced decisive action against the mafia.

In Gaya, a case was registered against Arman for a violent attack on an egg seller identified as Bholu. Arman then surrendered to the court and since February 27, 2023, was incarcerated in Central Jail Gaya.

The Uttar Pradesh Police learned a week ago that Arman was lodged in Gaya jail. Prayagraj police filed an application in the civil court on October 1 to obtain his transit remand. The jail paperwork was completed on Sunday and Prayagraj police took Armaan with them under tight security at 5pm. Magadh IG Vikas Vaibhav confirmed that Armaan had been taken away by the Uttar Pradesh Police.

A court rejected an application by Arman’s family on October 1 requesting that he be produced in the Uttar Pradesh court via video conferencing from Gaya jail.