Lucknow/Jhansi/Prayagraj/Kanpur, Aug. 7 -- Abaan Ahmed, 19, son of slain gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed, was killed in a road accident in Uttar Pradesh's Jhansi district on Thursday while travelling to meet his elder brother, Ali Ahmed, who is lodged in the Jhansi district jail. Abaan was the youngest of Atiq Ahmed's five sons. Police have begun an investigation to ascertain the exact cause of the accident, including whether overspeeding or any other factor led to the crash. Quoting bystanders, police said the driver lost control of the speeding SUV while attempting to avoid an animal, which suddenly strayed onto the highway, as well as a motorcycle, and hit a divider. The death marks another tragedy for the family of Atiq Ahmed who, along with his brother Ashraf Ahmed, was shot dead at point-blank range by three assailants in Prayagraj on April 15, 2023 while being escorted by police for a medical examination. The killings, carried out in full view of television cameras, drew nationwide attention. Another son, Asad Ahmad, who was wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case, was killed in a police encounter near Jhansi on April 13, 2023. Umesh Pal was a key witness in the 2005 murder of BSP MLA Raju Pal, in which Atiq Ahmed was also an accused. Atiq Ahmed's wife Shaista Praveen, who is also an accused in the high-profile murder case, is absconding and carries a reward of Rs 1 lakh on information leading to her arrest according to the police. Ashraf's wife Zainab and Atiq's sister Ayesha Noori are also wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case. Abaan, who was seated in the front, suffered a severe head injury and died. Abaan's associate who died in Thursday's accident was identified as 25-year-old Sonu, son of Raja, police said. Three other occupants of the vehicle were injured in the accident and are undergoing treatment at the Jhansi Medical College, police said. Thursday's accident occurred near village Khilli falling under the Poonch police station limits of Jhansi, police said, adding that the damaged vehicle has been seized for examination, and further legal proceedings are underway. BBGTS Murthy, the Jhansi senior superintendent of police,told reporters that police received information around 10.30 am that an SUV had crashed into a road divider after the driver lost control. "Two people died in the accident, while three others sustained injuries. The injured are undergoing treatment," he said. The impact of the collision wrecked the front portion of the vehicle. Police and emergency responders rushed to the spot, extricated the occupants from the wreckage and shifted them to the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Moth. Doctors declared Abaan and Sonu dead on arrival. Their bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination at Jhansi Medical College. "One of the injured passengers told us that the vehicle was moving at a very high speed and became uncontrollable before crashing into the divider," SSP Murthy said. Arvind Kumar, superintendent of police (Rural), said the accident took place around 10.30am on the Kanpur-Jhansi highway in the Poonch area. According to doctors, the injured sustained fractures but are out of danger. The injured were identified as Azam, 28, Mohammad Javed, 30, and Mohammad Umar, 24, all residents of Prayagraj, Kumar said. Umar told reporters they were on their way to a jail in Jhansi when the accident occurred. Asked whether Abaan's family had been informed, SSP Murthy said all necessary protocols were being followed, and senior officers were at the accident site. Police officers said footage from CCTV cameras installed along the highway would be examined as part of the investigation. Umar Ahmed, Atiq's eldest son, is lodged in Lucknow Jail. Another son Ali Ahmed is in Jhansi jail. He is an accused in the Umesh Pal murder case as well as an Rs 5 crore extortion case. The fourth son Ahzam Ahmed is reportedly pursuing a law degree in Manipal. Following the Umesh Pal murder case of February 24, 2023, police recovered Abaan and his brother Ahzam from Prayagraj's Chakia area and lodged them in a juvenile protection home as both were minors at the time. They spent around seven months there before being handed over to their paternal aunt, Parveen Qureshi, on the orders of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC). After their release, the brothers first visited the graves of their father Atiq Ahmed and uncle Ashraf. For a long period, Abaan largely remained out of the public eye. He drew attention in September 2025 when he arrived at Naini Central Jail in a convoy of luxury vehicles to meet his brother Ali Ahmed. During the visit, he repeatedly covered his face with a 'gamchha' to avoid cameras. In November 2025, Dhoomanganj police in Prayagraj registered the first case against Abaan over a social media reel allegedly featuring threatening dialogues and provocative content. Police alleged that the reel was intended to create fear and panic among the public. (With agency inputs)...