Atiq Ahmed to be produced in Prayagraj court for verdict in 2007 case; high security in place

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Gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Khalid Azim, alias Ashraf, were brought to Prayagraj's Naini Central Jail after long road journeys from two separate prisons. A Prayagraj court will today hear the Umesh Pal case in which Atiq Ahmed is an accused.

Atiq Ahmed court hearing today in Umesh Pal case

Ahmedabad: Prayagraj Police with jailed-mafia Atiq Ahmed outside Sabarmati Central Jail (Credits: PTI)

By Santosh Kumar Sharma: Gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed will be produced before a court in Prayagraj on Tuesday in connection with the 2006 kidnapping of Umesh Pal, a witness in the BSP MLA Raju Pal murder case, who was killed last month in an attack allegedly orchestrated by the two.

The verdict is also likely to be pronounced during the day.

The police cavalcade which brought Atiq Ahmed from the Sabarmati Jail in Ahmedabad around 5.30 pm was followed by cars carrying TV crews, his sister Ayesha Noori and lawyers.

The gangster's brother, Khalid Azim alias Ashraf, was also brought to the Naini Central Jail in Prayagraj on Monday.

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HIGH SECURITY FOR UMESH PAL CASE HEARING

Ahead of the hearing in the Umesh Pal abduction case on Tuesday, strict security arrangements have been made and cops have been deployed along the route from the Prayagraj jail to the court.

Inside the court premises, cops have been deployed to the courtroom, where Atiq Ahmed will be presented today.

According to the information received by India Today, a total of 300 police personnel, including the inspector head constable and SPs, have been deployed for security.

Prayagraj: Police personnel stand guard outside Naini Central jail as mafia Atiq Ahmed was being shifted from Sabarmati Central Jail (Credits: PTI)

The cops on duty have been asked to remain alert and maintain a vigil as and when the court hearing begins, till the accused are brought out of court.

CCTV cameras have been installed on the court premises, which would help police keep a watch on the accused.

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SPECIAL CAMERA AT ATIQ'S CELL IN PRAYAGRAJ JAIL

Meanwhile, officers at Prayagraj's Naini Central Jail kept a close vigil at Atiq Ahmed throughout the night.

Authorities at the jail also kept a close watch on Atiq Ahmed's brother and one other accused in the case, via CCTV cameras at the prison premises.

The three accused have been kept in separate cells, while a separate CCTV camera has been installed in Atiq Ahmed's barrack.

A medical test was conducted on Atiq Ahmed on Monday, as soon as he was brought to Prayagraj.

The three accused were served meals as per the jail manual.

THE CASE AGAINST ATIQ AHMED

Following the killing of BSP MLA Raju Pal on January 25, 2005, Umesh Pal, then a zila panchayat member, had told police he was a witness to the murder.

Umesh alleged that when he refused to retract and buckle under pressure from Atiq Ahmed, he was kidnapped at gunpoint on February 28, 2006. The FIR was registered on July 5, 2007 against Atiq, his brother Ashraf and four unidentified persons. The chargesheet mentioned 11 accused persons.

Atiq Ahmed, a former Samajwadi Party MP from Phulpur, was shifted to the Sabarmati Central Jail in Gujarat in June 2019 following a Supreme Court order after he was accused of orchestrating the kidnapping and assault of real estate businessman Mohit Jaiswal while in prison in Uttar Pradesh.

He is named in more than 100 criminal cases, including the Umesh Pal murder case, police said.

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Published On:

Mar 28, 2023