Abdul Qavi, a key aide of deceased gangster Atiq Ahmed, has reportedly helped police recover a cache of illegal weapons hidden in various villages on the banks of the river Yamuna in Kaushambhi. Qavi, who was wanted in connection with BSP MLA Raju Pal’s murder in 2005, surrendered before a CBI court in April this year after being on the run for 18 years. During his 36-hour police custody, Qavi provided the names of his associates who had offered him shelter and revealed how he had hidden Ahmed’s weapons in and around his house. Qavi also disclosed that he had never given his mobile number to anyone during his time on the run and kept changing hideouts to evade arrest.
The information provided by Qavi helped police seize a large quantity of illegal weapons, including 20 country-made pistols of different bores, 88 live cartridges, and 25 crude bombs from his native village in Bhakanda in the Sarai Akil area. Qavi also admitted that he had taken shelter in Prayagraj’s Chakia area and hidden Ahmed’s weapons in villages on the Yamuna river banks in Kaushambhi. He also told investigators that Ahmed’s gunner Ehtesham and others arranged illegal weapons for the gang. Ehtesham was initially posted as a police gunner with Ahmed but later terminated from services following complaints of his involvement with Ahmed.
However, no criminal case has been filed against Ehtesham yet. Abdul Qavi’s revelations have helped the police to learn more about Ahmed’s network and activities. His disclosures are expected to help them in ongoing investigations against Ahmed’s gang members and other criminal networks operating in the region. The seizure of illegal weapons has dealt a significant blow to the network and helped the police to prevent potential violence and criminal activities in the area.
