JHANSI: Azham Ahmed, the fourth son of slain gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed, arrived in Jhansi on Thursday to claim the body of his youngest brother, Abaan Ahmed, who was killed in a road accident earlier in the day.Azham appealed to authorities to allow his two jailed brothers — Umar Ahmed, lodged in Lucknow District Jail, and Ali Ahmed, lodged in Jhansi District Jail — to attend Abaan’s last rites.Following Azham’s arrival, legal formalities were completed and the process of handing over the body to the family was initiated. Security was tightened at the hospital, with heavy police deployment to prevent any untoward incident.SP (Rural) Arvind Kumar said the body would be handed over to the family after the postmortem. Authorities are expected to decide on the family’s request for temporary release or escorted attendance of the jailed brothers in accordance with legal provisions.Abaan, 21, was travelling from Prayagraj to Jhansi to meet his elder brother Ali when the SUV he was travelling in crashed into a divider near Poonch police station around 10.30 am on Thursday.His friend Sonu alias Zakir, 25, who was also in the vehicle, died in the crash. Three others — Mohammad Zaid, Umar Ahmed and Aslam — sustained injuries and are undergoing treatment at Jhansi Medical College. Police said their condition is stable.Investigators are examining multiple possible causes of the accident. Eyewitness Deepak Yadav said the SUV appeared to be travelling at over 120 kmph when a calf suddenly came onto the highway, forcing the driver to swerve. The vehicle then narrowly avoided a motorcycle before crashing into the divider.Another survivor, Umar Ahmed, told police the SUV became uncontrollable after hitting a brick on the road. Police have also cited the rain-soaked highway and possible overspeeding as factors behind the crash.Jhansi SSP BBGTS Murthy said a forensic team had inspected the accident site and statements of the injured survivors and eyewitnesses were being recorded. Preliminary findings suggest the speeding SUV lost control before hitting the divider.Deepak Yadav, who was among the first to reach the spot, said he used an iron rod to pry open the jammed vehicle after calling the police. According to him, Abaan identified himself and pleaded, “Save me,” before losing consciousness.Abaan’s body was sent to Jhansi Medical College for postmortem and is expected to be taken to Prayagraj for burial on Friday, alongside the grave of his father, Atiq Ahmed.Abaan was the youngest of Atiq Ahmed’s five sons. His elder brother Asad Ahmed was killed in a police encounter in Jhansi in 2023. Ali and Umar remain in jail, while their mother, Shaista Parveen, has been absconding since 2023 in connection with the Umesh Pal murder case.
