Gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed gets life term in Umesh Pal abduction case

High security outside Prayagraj court on Tuesday morning ahead of Atiq Ahmed’s arrival. (Express Photo)

On Tuesday, the court held Atiq, Khan Shaulat Haneef (both in their 60s), and Dinesh Pasi (55) guilty and sentenced them to life imprisonment. Pasi and Haneef, who were out on bail, were taken into custody after the verdict.

Defence Counsel Vijay Mishra said they will appeal against the judgment.

The court, however, acquitted seven persons — Atiq’s younger brother Khalid Azim alias Ashraf, Javed, Farhan, Ijaj Akhtar, Israr, Asif alias Malli, and Abid.

All the 10 accused were present in the court on Tuesday. Atiq was brought to Prayagraj from Sabarmati Central Jail in Gujarat, while Ashraf and Farhan were brought from Bareilly and Chitrakoot prisons, respectively.

“Judge Dinesh Chandra Shukla awarded life imprisonment to Atiq, Dinesh Pasi and Khan Shaulat Haneef. The court also imposed a fine on them,” said District Government Counsel (DGC) Gulab Chandra Agrihari.

The court convicted Atiq and Pasi under IPC sections 147 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly ), 364-A (kidnapping for ransom, etc), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint), 342 (wrongful confinement), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (criminal intimidation), 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 7 Criminal Law Amendment Act, Agrihari said. He added that Haneef was convicted under IPC sections 364-A and 120-B.

According to the prosecution, Umesh Pal had filed a complaint in 2007 stating that he was a witness in the murder case of BSP MLA Raju Pal, who was killed in January 25, 2005.

He alleged that Atiq and Ashraf, who were the prime suspects in the Raju Pal murder case, were asking him to change his statement in court otherwise they would eliminate him and his family. Umesh had claimed that Atiq also threatened him several times over the phone.

Citing Umesh’s complaint, the prosecution said Atiq and his associates got him abducted on February 28, 2006, from near Fasi Imli area in Allahabad (now Prayagraj).

When the incident occurred, Ashraf was lodged in a jail in connection with another case.

Umesh, who was then a Zila Panchayat member, was taken to a house in Chakia area of Prayagraj where he was physically tortured. Atiq and his associates also threatened to kill him and his family members if he (Umesh) didn’t give a favourable statement in court, the prosecution said.

The prosecution said Umesh was allowed to return home only after he gave a statement in court as desired by Atiq.

“Umesh added in his complaint that he had given a false statement in court under pressure from Atiq and requested to register an FIR into the matter,” said the prosecution.

Following Umesh’s complaint, an FIR was registered against five persons — Atiq, Ashraf, Dinesh Pasi, Ansar and Shaulat Haneef at the Dhoomanganj police station in July 2007.

During investigation, the police found involvement of others and also booked Javed, Ijaj Akhtar, Farhaan, Abid, Israr and one Ansaar Baba in the case. The police filed a chargesheet against 11 persons. Ansaar Baba died during the trial. The trial of BSP MLA Raju Pal murder case is pending in a Lucknow court.

The UP Police that investigated Raju Pal murder case before the CBI took over the probe, had made Umesh Pal a witness in the case. Besides Atiq and Ashraf, there are eight more accused in the murder case.