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ban Ahmed, the youngest son of former gangster turned politician Atiq Ahmed, died on Thursday, August 6, 2026, when the vehicle that he was riding lost control and collided with a road divider on the Kanpur-Jhansi National Highway in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
The incident has once again raised the profile of the Ahmed family, which has been at the heart of many controversies of Uttar Pradesh in the recent past.
According to police officials, the crash occurred at around 10:30 am near the Poonch area of Jhansi district. Aban was travelling in an SUV that lost control and struck a road divider, with the vehicle reportedly moving at very high speed before the crash. The impact was severe enough to kill two of the occupants instantly and leave three others with serious injuries.
Officials identified the vehicle as a white Hyundai Creta, and said the 21-year-old Aban was travelling from Prayagraj to Jhansi to meet his brother, who is lodged in jail there. Senior Superintendent of Police BBGTS Murthy told reporters that police received information around 10:30 am that the SUV had crashed into a road divider after the driver lost control, confirming that two people died in the accident while three others sustained injuries and are undergoing treatment at the government medical college.
The second person found dead due to the accident was Sonu, a friend of Aban's and accompanying him on the same journey. Police informed that the two persons dead in the crash included Aban Ahmad, a resident of Prayagraj, and Sonu, the son of Raja. One of the persons injured in the accident informed the police that the car had lost its control while driving at a very high speed, which resulted in the accident when it hit the divider.
The tragic accident became more tragic due to the purpose of the trip. Aban and Sonu were on their way to Jhansi jail where they were planning to meet their jailed brother Ali.
The people traveling with them on the Kanpur-Jhansi National Highway planned to visit their brother Ali who was currently lodged in the Jhansi jail after having been shifted from Naini jail in Prayagraj. Instead of visiting their jailed brother, the trip resulted in a tragedy where Aban met his death a few kilometers away from his destination.
Accident. In addition, it has been reported that the other victims who have gotten injured have been hospitalized, and more information about the accident is still awaited while the investigation process proceeds.
Till now, authorities have tried everything they can but the overall picture presented through eyewitnesses and victims proves that it has been the speed of the car that led to loss of control.
Death of Aban Ahmed marks yet another tragedy in the life of the family which has witnessed violence on several occasions in Uttar Pradesh. Aban's father Atiq Ahmed is a politician who had been a mafia don in the state of Uttar Pradesh and represented Prayagraj (earlier Allahabad). He has been convicted in 2005 for the case of kidnapping and murder of BSP MLA Raju Pal.
The murder of Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf by unknown men in Prayagraj which happened in April 2023 and was broadcast live on TV channels has left the nation surprised. On the second day of this incident, the third son of Atiq Ahmed, Asad Ahmed, was shot dead in a police encounter in Jhansi.
The two remaining sons of Atiq Ahmed are lodged in prison; Ali Ahmed in Jhansi jail facing about ten criminal cases, including one for the Gangsters Act, while Umar Ahmed is imprisoned in Lucknow jail charged with eleven criminal cases.
Aban is one of those few sons of Atiq Ahmed, who reportedly used to stay outside the prison and pursue his studies until he was killed, while his another son, Ahzam, was reported to be studying. The wife of Atiq Ahmed, Shaista Parveen, is still absconding in criminal cases.
The news about the death of Aban Ahmed spread fast around Uttar Pradesh as local media from Prayagraj and Jhansi took note of this tragic event because of the popularity of the family. Contrary to previous incidents involving deaths in the family, where each was linked directly to the cases of crime against the family, this time, the accident is not considered as part of a criminal case and police assure the public that all legal steps will be taken.
For a family that already lost their patriarch, an uncle, and another brother due to targeted murder within a few years, this death of Aban Ahmed due to what seems like a routine road accident highlights yet another danger – this time, one not related to gang rivalry or encounter, but speed and lack of control on the Indian highways.
