Uttar Pradesh: Atiq Ahmed, his brother Ashraf held guilty in 2007 Umesh Pal kidnapping case

Mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed was on Tuesday held guilty in the Umesh Pal kidnapping case by Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj MP-MLA Court on Tuesday. The court also held Atiq's brother Ashraf guilty in the case. The argument in the court is underway.

The accused in the case were brought to the court amid tight security a short while back. Atiq Ahmed, a five time MLA and an accused in the case, was brought from Gujarat's Sabarmati Jail to Prayagraj's Naini jail on Monday after an over 24-hour long drive from Gujarat.

Ahmed is an accused in the 2005 murder case of BSP MLA Raju Pal. Umesh Pal, who was a prime witness in the Raju Pal murder case, was shot dead in Prayagraj on February 24 this year. Ahmed is also the main accused in the Umesh Pal murder case. Umesh Pal, the prime witness in the 2005 murder of BSP MLA Raju Pal, and his two security personnel were shot dead in Prayagraj on February 24 this year.

The court had reserved the verdict on March 17 after the completion of the hearing.

On 25 January 2005, BSP MLA Raju Pal was murdered. Devilal Pal and Sandeep Yadav were also killed. Umesh Pal, the main witness in the Raju Pal murder case, was abducted on February 28, 2006.Atiq Ahmed had allegedly abducted Umesh Pal from a Land Cruiser vehicle near Phansi Imli of the Dhumanganj police station area. Keeping him in his Chakia office, he was beaten up and electrocuted.Atiq had made Umesh Pal give a written statement in his favor on March 1, 2006, that he was not present at the scene and did not want to testify.Umesh Pal filed a case of kidnapping in Dhumanganj police station in July 2007 after the formation of the BSP government in Uttar Pradesh in 2007.A case was registered against former MPs Atiq Ahmed, Ashraf, Dinesh Pasi, Ansar Ahmed alias Ansar Baba, Khan Soulat Hanif. Police has named Atiq Ahmed, Ashraf Dinesh Pasi, Ansar Ahmed, Saulat Hanif, Javed, Farhan, Israr, Abid Pradhan, Ashiq Malli and Ejaz Akhtar as accused.

One of the accused Ansar Ahmed died. Atiq Ahmed, Ashraf and Farhan are in jail. The rest of the accused are out on bail. In 2009, the court framed charge on the accused and the trial of the case began.

In 2016, in this case, an attempt was made to throw Umesh Pal from the fourth floor of the court premises to make him withdraw. An FIR has been registered in this matter at the Colonelganj police station. Various applications were filed on behalf of the accused to stop the trial of the case.

Umesh Pal filed an application in the High Court demanding early settlement of the case. Allahabad High Court ordered to complete the hearing of the case in two months by March 16, 2023.During the trial, the prosecution produced 8 witnesses and the defence produced 50 witnesses.Umesh Pal was murdered on February 24 after returning from defending this case. In the Umesh Pal kidnapping case, an FIR has been registered in the Dhumanganj police station under IPC sections 147, 148, 149, 364 A, 341, 342, 504, 506, 120 B and 7 CLA Act.

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