Umesh Pal Murder Case: Gangster Atiq Ahmed, who on Tuesday left Sabarmati jail to appear before the court in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj, has reached the city's Naini jail. His hearing in the court comes after a fresh warrant was issued against him in connection with the Umesh Pal murder case.
Atiq Ahmed's fear
While en route, the gangster during his interaction with the media said that he feared for his life and doubted Uttar Pradesh Police's intentions. He also appealed that women and children of his family must not be dragged into issues. "It's because of you (the media) that I am safe," said Ahmed.
An FIR under section 147 has been registered on 13 including notorious mafia Atiq Ahmed and his son in Dhoomanganj police station. The list also includes Asad Kalia, Shakeel, Shakir, Sabi Abbas, Faizan, Saif, Nami, Affan, Mehmood, Maud and Aslam. Soon the UP Police convoy began their journey to Prayagaraj from Gujarat, Atiq Ahmed said, "It is not right. They want to kill me."
The 60-year-old former Uttar Pradesh MLA and Lok Sabha member was brought back to the high-security jail in Gujarat in a UP police van on March 29, after a nearly 24-hour-long road journey from Prayagraj.
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak asserted that the government is following the decision of the court and now criminals will not be able to escape in Uttar Pradesh. 'We are following the decision of the court, now criminals will not be able to escape in Uttar Pradesh. The government is monitoring the whole matter, and our aim is to get the harshest punishment, said Pathak.
Atiq Ahmed convicted
Mafia don-turned-politician, Atiq Ahmed was convicted by an MP-MLA court on March 28, and sentenced to rigorous life imprisonment in the abduction case of now-deceased Umesh Pal. This is Ahmed's first conviction even though more than 100 cases were registered against him.
An MP-MLA court held gangster-politician Atiq Ahmad and two others guilty in the 2006 Umesh Pal kidnapping case and sentenced them to life imprisonment. Ahmad's brother Khalid Azim alias Ashraf and six others have been acquitted in the case.
Special MP-MLA court judge Dinesh Chandra Shukla held Ahmad, Saulat Hanif, a lawyer, and Dinesh Pasi guilty in the case, government counsel Gulab Chandra Agrahari said. The three were pronounced guilty under Indian Penal Code section 364-A (kidnapping or abduction in order to murder), Agrahari said. The maximum sentence under the section is death sentence.
(Input from Priya Singh/Nirnaya Kapoor)
