Atiq Ahmed’s youngest son Aban dies in Jhansi car crash while on way to meet jailed brother

New Delhi: Aban Ahmed, the youngest son of slain gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed, died in a road accident in Uttar Pradesh’s Jhansi on Thursday after the vehicle he was travelling in reportedly crashed into a road divider at high speed, police said. Another occupant, identified as Sonu, was also killed in the accident, while three others sustained injuries.

According to Jhansi police, the accident occurred on the Jhansi-Kanpur highway when the speeding SUV lost control and rammed into the divider. The injured passengers were shifted to a nearby hospital, while police launched an investigation into the cause of the crash. Preliminary findings indicate overspeeding may have led to the accident.

Reports said Aban was travelling from Prayagraj to Jhansi to meet his elder brother Ali Ahmed, who is currently lodged in Jhansi Jail. Ali was shifted there from Naini Jail last year.

Who was Atiq Ahmed?

Atiq Ahmed was one of Uttar Pradesh’s most notorious gangster-politicians, with a criminal record spanning decades that included allegations of murder, kidnapping, extortion and land grabbing. Despite facing over 100 criminal cases, he served five terms as an MLA from Allahabad West and was elected as the Lok Sabha MP from Phulpur in 2004.

His family remained at the centre of national attention following the 2023 Umesh Pal murder case. In April that year, his son Asad Ahmed was killed in an encounter by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force. Just days later, Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were shot dead at point-blank range by three assailants posing as journalists while the two were being escorted by police for a medical examination in Prayagraj, an incident broadcast live on television.

Aban’s death marks another tragedy for the Ahmed family, several of whose members have either been killed, imprisoned or remain absconding in the aftermath of the crackdown on the former gangster’s criminal network.