– Anwarulhaq Baig
New Delhi, October 13: The minor sons of slain former Member of Parliament Atiq Ahmed have been released from a juvenile home Rajrooppur and handed over to their aunt Parveen Ahmed Qureshi, following the efforts of Association for protection of Civil Rights (APCR).
Speaking with Radiance, APCR National Secretary Nadeem Khan informed that, according to Atiq’s family, following the killing of Umesh Pal in Prayagraj’s Dhoomanganj area on February 24 this year, the authorities forcibly detained his two sons Ehsan and Aaban and later shifted them to Rajrooppur Juvenile Home in Uttar Pradesh.
Mr. Khan also informed that initially, the authorities had declined to grant custody of Ehsan and Aaban to their aunt, leading to a legal battle that eventually reached the Supreme Court with the support of APCR. “Now, following the Supreme Court’s order, both sons have been reunited with their family after eight months and have been given in custody of Atiq’s sister, Parveen,” he said.
The district authorities have also confirmed that Atiq’s sister, who resides in Hatwa village, has undertaken the responsibility of looking after her two nephews.
According to Khan, the APCR engaged renowned lawyers, including Advocate Kapil Sibal and Advocate Ahmed Ibrahim, along with their teams, to represent Atiq’s sister in the Supreme Court for the proceedings in this case. Advocate SM Rehman Faizi and Advocate Muhammad Khalid in the Allahabad High Court also provided necessary legal support to their family.
Mr. Khan mentioned that in this case, there was an atmosphere of fear and government pressure among lawyers in Uttar Pradesh.
He said, “No lawyer was willing to represent Atiq and his associates in court. In this critical situation, two members of APCR, namely Advocate SM Rehman Faizi and Advocate Muhammad Khalid, stepped forward for the cause of justice. They successfully accomplished their mission of reuniting the two sons with their family through long and diligent efforts.”
Asserting that APCR is dedicated to providing support to those in need of assistance in their pursuit of justice, Mr. Khan emphasized that no government has the right to infringe upon the rights of the accused, as well as their family members or colleagues.
On the night of April 15 this year, 60-year-old politician Atiq and his brother Ashraf were shot dead at close range by three men, posing as journalists during a media interaction while police personnel were escorting them to a medical college in Prayagraj for a checkup. After Umesh Pal’s murder, the police filed complaints against Atiq, Ashraf, their family members, and others based on Pal’s wife’s complaint.
