All four women, who are between the ages of 50 and 60, remain missing despite police announcing cash rewards for information on their whereabouts, including Rs 50,000 each for Shaista and Afsha, and Rs 25,000 each in the case of Zainab and Ayesha. All four are accused essentially of playing a “conspiratorial” role in the offences carried out by the late mafia dons. Police say they are making every effort to track down the women, including pressuring them to surrender.

The latest case in which Afsha was booked relates to a revolver obtained under an arms licence issued in her name. She faces five other cases, including one under the UP Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, Ghazipur Superintendent of Police Iraj Raja said, adding her properties have been attached under the Act.

Shaista, Zainab and Noori are wanted for alleged roles in a murder conspiracy. Shaista and Zainab were based in Prayagraj when they went missing while Ayesha was living in Meerut. Afsha is a native of Ghazipur district.

The Ghazipur SP said: “Afsha remains a wanted fugitive and police teams are conducting raids to trace her.”

Sources in the UP Police said that after they received intelligence suggesting Afsha could attempt to flee the country, they approached Central agencies, including the CBI and Immigration Department, for lookout notices against her.

The latest case against Afsha was filed after a police verification drive on firearms issued to Ansari, his family members and close associates, based on purchase and sale records. The inquiry found that Afsha held an arms licence in her name, against which a revolver was purchased and later sold and another firearm acquired.

However, the records documenting the purchase and sale of the revolver were found to be missing from the archives of the Ghazipur District Magistrate’s office, with police suspecting the records were removed in collusion with the staff. Police said they have not been able to trace the revolver either, and believe papers regarding it were deliberately concealed to facilitate its use by members of the Ansari gang.

Apart from Afsha, the FIR names Brij Narayan Ram and Bhishm Singh Yadav, who worked as record assistants with the DM office. Ram is deceased. Provisions of the Arms Act have also been invoked against the accused.

Atiq Ahmed’s wife, sister and sister-in-law are wanted in connection with the February 2023 killing of a lawyer, Umesh Pal, and his two police security personnel, Sandeep Nishad and Raghvendra Singh, in Prayagraj. The attack had taken place in broad daylight outside Pal’s home, with gunmen opening fire and hurling crude bombs.

The Prayagraj Police have also registered cases against the three for failing to appear despite being declared proclaimed offenders.

Ayesha’s husband Akhlaq Ahmed, a doctor who used to work at a Community Health Centre in Meerut, is under arrest in the same case, charged with giving shelter to one of the accused in the Umesh Pal murder, Guddu Muslim. Guddu remains missing too. Atiq’s two sons, Ali Ahmed and Mohammad Umar, are also in prison.

Incidentally, Guddu along with Sabir, another accused in Umesh Pal’s murder, figures among the UP Police’s list of 30 most wanted. Both carry a reward of Rs 5 lakh each on their heads. The four women are not on the list, with Deepti Bahal the only woman featuring on it.

A former college principal, Bahal has been on the run since 2019 and is accused of fraud allegedly amounting to Rs 4,500 crore in a bike taxi venture. She is named in 118 cases lodged across the country.