By Arvind Ojha: Just over two months after Umesh Pal was killed in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj, both Atiq Ahmed and his son Asad, accused in the case, are dead. While Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were gunned down by three men on Saturday, Asad was killed in a police encounter earlier this month. In an exclusive interview with India Today, Umesh Pal’s widow Jaya spoke about her husband’s death, Asad’s police encounter, Atiq Ahmed’s murder, as well as about absconding Shaista Parveen.

Umesh Pal, the prime witness in the 2005 BSP MLA Raju Pal murder case, was shot dead in Prayagraj in February this year. Gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed had reportedly confessed to the police that he had hatched the conspiracy to kill Umesh Pal from inside jail. Atiq Ahmed’s son Asad was one of the accused in the Umesh Pal murder case.

When asked about her husband’s death, Jaya Pal immediately broke down. She kept repeating that her children have been left orphaned.

“They are now orphansâ€æ nobody asked why they couldn’t go to school,” she said.

She said that she had to stay at home to take care of her children, “unlike Shaista who supported her husband (Atiq Ahmed) in his unlawful activities, and is now hiding from the authorities.”

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When asked about Asad being killed in a police encounter, Jaya Pal said that justice was served and praised the administration for taking action against him.

“The son is a reflection of the father, and Asad’s father had sowed the seeds of his son’s crimes,” she said.

“I would just say that parents who give such education to their childrenâ€æthe child did such a self-destructive act. I do not want children to be given such education. He was barely old enough and yet he did such dirty works,” Jaya Pal said.

She expressed relief that the administration had taken the right steps against those who had caused harm to her family. She alleged that while Atiq and Ashraf were in jail, Atiq was getting the work done through his wife Shaista. “Shaista was responsible for everything and was now on the run,” she said.

Meanwhile, security has been tightened outside Umesh Pal’s house. Every person coming to meet the family and children are being thoroughly monitored. Police and PAC personnel have been deployed.

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