Former Samajwadi Party leader Atiq Ahmed on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court seeking its protection, claiming that he has been “roped in” as an accused in the Umesh Pal murder case and fears threat to his life. Currently lodged in the Ahmedabad Central Jail, Ahmed has also sought directions to ensure that no physical or bodily injury or harm is done to him in any manner during police custody or interrogation.
He has also sought a direction restraining the state of Uttar Pradesh and others from taking him from the Central Jail in Ahemdabad to Prayagraj or any other part of Uttar Pradesh.
Umesh Pal, who was the prime witness in BSP MLA Raju Pal’s murder, and his police security guard Sandeep Nishad were shot dead last Friday outside his home in the Dhoomanganj area of Prayagraj.
Umesh Pal was a key witness in the 2005 murder case in Prayagraj in which Ahmed and others are prime accused.
On the other hand, the Uttar Pradesh government launched a crackdown on associates of gangster Atiq Ahmed named in the murder case. The Prayagraj Development Authority today demolished the house of a close aide of Ahmed. Prayagraj Development Authority secretary Ajit Singh said the house belonging to Zafar Ahmed has been bulldozed. He said Atiq’s wife Shaista Parveen used to stay in the same house earlier.
Pal and one of his security personnel were shot dead in Jaitipur under the Dhoomanganj police station last week. Pal was the main witness in the BSP MLA Raju Pal murder case.
Arbaaz, an accused in the Umesh Pal murder case, was killed in an encounter with the police on Monday. Dhoomanganj police station SHO Rajesh Maurya was also injured in the encounter.
On the basis of a complaint lodged by Pal’s wife Jaya Pal, a case was registered at Dhoomanganj police station (in Prayagraj) against gangster-turned politiciam Atiq Ahmed, his brother Ashraf, wife Shaista Parveen, two sons, aides Guddu Muslim and Gulam and nine others.
