From Left: Dreaded gangster and former Samajwadi Party MP Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf Ahmed
Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh: On March 28, the MP-MLA Court convicted the former Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf in the 2006 Umesh Pal kidnapping case. Umesh Pal was the prime witness in Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Raju Pal’s murder case; however, he was gunned down outside his residence in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj on February 24.
It is pertinent to note that Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf are accused in Umesh Pal’s murder case as well; he was shot head in Prayagraj on February 24. Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf are also accused in the Umesh Pal murder case, allegedly hatched Umesh Pal’s murder inside Gujarat’s Sabarmati jail where he was lodged.
Atiq Ahmed was brought to Prayagraj’s Naini central jail from Gujarat’s Sabarmati Jail to be produced before the MP-MLA Court in the 2006 Umesh Pal kidnapping case.
In an interview with ANI, Umesh Pal’s mother, Shanti Devi, said, “We don’t have the strength to fight a case in the time to come. He (Atiq Ahmed) should be sentenced to death by hanging. If he is sentenced to life imprisonment, he can do anything from jail. He got my son killed from jail. He won’t let us live if he remains there.”
“I hope court sentences him (Atiq Ahmed) to death by hanging. If he lives, perhaps we won’t be able be alive. Maybe it would be us next. If he is gone only then will terror be gone,” Umesh Pal’s wife, Jaya Pal, said.
Furthermore, a CCTV Footage came to the fore where the gangster turned politician Atiq Ahmed’s son Asad Ahmed is seen chasing Umesh Pal on the streets with a pistol in his hand. The video revealed that Asad was trying to shoot Umesh Pal in the head while both are engaged in a scuffle inside a narrow lane. In the footage, a woman can be seen running towards Umesh Pal, but on hearing gunshots, fled from the place.
The person wielding the pistol is Asad Ahmed, the son of Atiq Ahmed. Atif is currently locked in Sabarmati Jail for the abduction and kidnap of a real estate businessman Mohit Jaiswal from Deoria Jail. The assailant is seen tucking his pistol to his waist.
The aide of the gangster Guddu Muslim hurled a bomb at gunner Raghavendra Singh. Raghavendra Singh and Sandeep Nishad were the two security guards of Umesh Pal’s residence who were killed by the assailants.
As per Police officials, six Bareilly Central Jail personnel, including the jailor and deputy jailor, were suspended for facilitating illegal meetings of visitors with gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed’s brother Ashraf in the prison. Atiq and Ashraf were recently booked in connection with the killing of Umesh Pal based on the complaint launched by Umesh Pal’s wife Jaya Pal. Besides, the police also booked Atiq Ahmed’s wife Shaista Parveen, two sons, aides Guddu Muslim and Gulam, and nine others.
The accused have been booked under sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with a deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Explosive Substances Act and the Criminal Law Amendment Act. The Uttar Pradesh Police even announced a Rs 25,000 cash reward for information leading to Atiq Ahmed’s wife Shaista Parveen’s arrest.
It is pertinent to note that the Allahabad High Court rejected Atiq Ahmed’s son Ali Ahmed’s bail application in a 2021 extortion case recently, observing that “such a criminal” on bail poses a threat “not only to the witnesses but also a constant threat to society.”
The Court observed, “Accused-applicant is the son of one of the most dreaded criminals, Bahubali and Mafia Don, Atique Ahmad, who has to his credit more than a hundred criminal cases of murder, abduction, extortion, ransom, property grabbing and other heinous offences. The accused applicant himself to his credit has other cases registered against him.”
The Court added, “Recently, name of the accused applicant has also got figured in a most daring and gruesome murder of Umesh Pal, star witness in the case of murder of sitting Member of Legislative Assembly, Raju Pal allegedly by his father and other accused in a broad daylight where Raju Pal, sitting Member of Legislative Assembly and three more persons were killed by firing at them several gunshots from automatic weapons.”
The Court observed that the accused-applicant is a mafia don in the making and stated, “The accused applicant is Mafia Don himself in making, his role has figured in commission of the offence of murder of Umesh Pal, star witness in the murder case of Raju Pal, sitting Member of Legislative Assembly, which has been expedited by the Supreme Court. Such a criminal if comes out from jail on bail, would be a threat not only to the witnesses, but also constant threat to the society.”
Reportedly, UP Police has detained over 40 people related to the Umesh Pal murder case, including Atiq Ahmed’s relatives. It is pertinent to note there are over 100 criminal cases, including murder, robbery, kidnapping, extortion and illegal arms deals, registered against Atiq Ahmed.
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