Gangster Atiq Ahmad's close aide Nafees Biryani dies of cardiac arrest

NOIDA: Nafees Biryani, a close aide and financier of the late gangster Atiq Ahmad, passed away while undergoing treatment at Swaroop Rani Nehru (SRN) Hospital on Sunday night, as per a police press statement issued on Monday.According to the official statement, Nafees Biryani was being held at Naini Central Jail under judicial custody. However, due to his deteriorating health, he was admitted to SRN Hospital on Sunday evening by the jail administration.The press note further stated that Nafees passed away during treatment, and preliminary findings by doctors suggest that he suffered a heart attack (myocardial infarction).Nafees Biryani was a wanted criminal with a reward of Rs 50,000 on his head in the triple murder case of Umesh Pal. He was apprehended following a police encounter on November 22, 2023, according to the official statement.Panchayatnama and postmortem procedures are currently underway, as mentioned in the official statement. Earlier on Sunday, Principal of SRN Hospital, SP Singh, informed ANI that Nafees had come to the hospital complaining of breathlessness. The hospital principal further revealed that Nafees had kidney issues, abnormal blood pressure, and his oxygen saturation levels were not stable despite additional support.Gangsters Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf Ahmad were fatally shot by assailants posing as journalists on April 15 outside a hospital in Prayagraj. The three assailants, Arun Maurya, Sunny Singh, and Lovelesh Tiwari, have been remanded in judicial custody by the district court.Atiq Ahmad was accused of the 2005 murder of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Raju Pal, as well as the killing of a key witness in that case, Umesh Pal, in February of this year.Meanwhile, on December 15, the Allahabad High Court dismissed a writ petition filed by Atiq Ahmad's son Ali Ahmad, who sought jail security due to threats against his life. Ali Ahmad had requested a video-conferencing hearing for his case, citing security concerns.