Atiq Ahmed moves SC claiming he may be killed in fake encounter by UP police

Alleging that he and his family were falsely implicated in the case, Ahmed, 61, referred to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s statement in the Assembly and claimed in his plea “genuine and perceptible threat” to their lives. Ahmed’s plea stated that UP Police is likely to seek his transit remand and he “genuinely apprehends and believes” that he “may be killed in a fake encounter on one pretext or the other by UP Police, particularly in view of the statement made by the Chief Minister of UP on the floor of the House”.

It stated that “after the murder of Umesh Pal, Opposition (parties) put fuel to the fire in the House, which provoked Adityanath to say “…mafia ko mitti mein mila doonga (we will crush the mafia)”, because the “petitioner was the main subject of argument in the House”.

This comes on a day the house of an Atiq Ahmed aide — where the politician and his wife also stayed earlier — was bulldozed by municipal authorities in Prayagraj, citing a civic law violation.

Ahmed urged the court to direct that he be interrogated in Ahmedabad; that if his transit to UP was necessary, it should be done under the protection of paramilitary forces.

On Monday, Arbaaz, an accused in the Umesh Pal murder case, was killed in an encounter with the police.

The petition was filed even as the Prayagraj Development Authority (PDA) demolished the house of a close aide of Ahmed. PDA secretary Ajit Singh said the house belonging to Zafar Ahmed has been razed. He said Atiq’s wife Shaista Parveen used to stay in the same house earlier.

In his plea, Ahmed sought a direction to the Centre to ensure his safety and security and that no physical or bodily injury or any other harm is caused to him and his family members. He has sought directions restraining the UP government and others from taking him from Ahmedabad to Prayagraj or any part of UP.—with PTI inputs