Atiq Ahmad's son's friend describes horrifying experience before SUV crash in Jhansi that killed 2. What did he allege?

Mohammad Umar, a friend of 20-year-old Aban Ahmad, who was killed in a road accident in Uttar Pradesh’s Jhansi on Thursday after their SUV crashed into a road divider, alleged that the car was travelling at high speed and the driver lost control.

Aban was the youngest son of slain gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad. His 25-year-old friend Sonu, son of Raja, also died in the incident.

"The car was travelling at a high speed, and the driver lost control," said PTI quoted Umar, 24, as saying, who was lying on a stretcher.

Late Thursday night, the bodies of both the deceased were taken to Prayagraj by family members after a three-member panel of doctors completed the post-mortem examination at Jhansi Medical College.

Three other passengers who suffered injuries in the accident and were undergoing treatment at the hospital were also shifted to Prayagraj.

Circle Officer (City) Ramveer Singh said the injured were moved in an ambulance at around 9.30 pm following a request from the family so they could continue treatment in Prayagraj. The bodies of the two deceased were transported to the city shortly before midnight for the final rites.

Police said Aban, a resident of Prayagraj, was travelling to Jhansi to meet his two brothers, who are lodged in separate jails there, when the accident occurred around 10.30 am.

Senior Superintendent of Police BBGTS Murthy said the preliminary investigation indicated that the SUV was being driven at high speed. "One of the injured passengers told us that the vehicle became uncontrollable before crashing into the divider," he said.

Umar told reporters that they were travelling towards a jail in Jhansi when the accident took place. Police officials said a probe has been initiated and CCTV footage from cameras installed along the national highway is being reviewed.

The police are also investigating whether the driver lost control of the vehicle after an animal suddenly appeared on the road, though no definite conclusion has been reached yet.

“Let our brothers attend the last rites,” Aban's twin brother Ahjam told reporters in Jhansi.

The injured passengers were identified as Azam, 28, and Mohammad Javed, 30 and Umar.

Aban was likely to be buried at Kasari Masari in Prayagraj, where several other members of the family have also been laid to rest.

He was the youngest among Atiq Ahmad’s five sons and was slightly younger than his twin brother Ahjam. Of the five siblings, Umar and Ali are currently lodged in different jails across Uttar Pradesh.

The Allahabad High Court on Friday granted parole to imprisoned brothers Ali and Umar, sons of slain gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad, allowing them to attend the burial of their younger brother Aban, who died in a road accident.

Another son of Atiq Ahmad, Asad Ahmad, was killed in a police encounter near Jhansi in April 2023. Asad was wanted in connection with the murder of Umesh Pal, a key witness in the 2005 killing of BSP MLA Raju Pal, in which Atiq Ahmad was also named as an accused.

Superintendent of Police (Rural) Arvind Kumar said the accident occurred around 10.30 am on the Kanpur-Jhansi Road in the Poonch area. He identified the vehicle involved as a Hyundai Creta with registration number UP 70 FW 2432.

Police said Atiq Ahmad’s wife, Shaista Praveen, who is also an accused in the high-profile murder case, remains absconding.

What happened with Atiq Ahmad?

On April 15, 2023, Atiq Ahmad, 60, and his brother Ashraf were shot dead at close range by three men posing as journalists while they were being taken by police to a medical college in Prayagraj for a medical examination.

The killings, which took place in front of television cameras, sparked widespread attention across the country.