Guddu Muslim hid in Odisha for 12 days: Reports

Bhubaneswar: While the Uttar Pradesh police was yet to trace Guddu Muslim, an accused in the Umesh Pal murder case, media reports said his last location has been traced to Bargarh in Odisha.

Moreover, Guddu was in Odisha from April 2 to 13 as he had been hiding in the state for around 12 days, reports said, adding that he left the place leaving behind a bag containing his clothes.

UP Police’s STF had questioned one Raja Khan, an associate of Guddu’s driver, in Bargarh.

As per reports, Raja told the investigators that Guddu has grown beard to avoid detection by police.

The report further said that Guddu has now fled to Chhattisgarh, as per police.

The Odisha link of Guddu came to light after the STF visited Bargarh on April 18 and stayed there for two days. During the period, the cops grilled Raja, a businessman who resides in Bargarh’s Sohela.

Confirming it, Bargarh SP Prahlad Sahai Meena had said, “A 5-member team of the STF had visited Bargarh for two days. They grilled a person in connection with their investigation.”

“The UP STF had come here and sought assistance from the local police. The team carried out verifications in the area and returned back. We provided them necessary assistance. They examined a person. We are unaware about their course of investigation. No one was arrested,” Northern Range IG Deepak Kumar had said.

Notably, Guddu is an aide of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed who was shot dead by three youths in Prayagraj while being taken to a hospital by the police for a medical check-up on April 15.

Guddu, who is currently absconding, had bombed lawyer Umesh Pal to death on February 24. He was last seen in the house of Atiq’s brother-in-law Dr Akhlaq in Meerut.