Gangster Atiq Ahmed and two others were sentenced to life imprisonment after a court in Prayagraj found them guilty in the 2006 Umesh Pal kidnapping case by a court in Prayagraj, reported NDTV.
Seven others, including Atiq Ahmed’s brother Khalid Azim, have been acquitted in the case. Earlier, the Supreme Court rejected Atiq Ahmed’s request for protection during his UP police custody.
Atiq Ahmed appeared in a Prayagraj court today in connection with the 2006 kidnapping of Umesh Pal, a key witness in the BSP MLA Raju Pal’s murder case.
The Supreme Court bench, however, allowed Atiq Ahmed to approach the Allahabad High court for protection after claiming a threat to his life in UP Police’s custody.
“It is not a case where this court is going to interfere. Liberty granted to move appropriate application before the High Court. Whatever is the process prescribed under law will be followed,” the Supreme Court bench said, as quoted by news agency PTI.
Following a 24-hour road journey from Gujarat, Atiq Ahmed and his brother were brought to the Naini Central Jail in Prayagraj amid heavy security on Monday.
Large crowds were seen outside the local court in Prayagraj where hearing of the Umesh Pal kidnapping case was scheduled. Atiq Ahmed was brought to the court amid heavy security. Visuals from outside the court show a long police cavalcade bringing the gangster-turned-politician in large vans as crowds gathered on both sides of the road.
In 2005, BSP MLA Raju Pal was murdered. Umesh Pal had approached the police claiming that he was a witness to the murder. Umesh Pal alleged that he was kidnapped at gunpoint in 2006 when he refused to retract his statement to the police under pressure from Atiq Ahmed.
The police registered an FIR against Atiq Ahmed, his brother and four others.Umesh Pal was shot dead outside his residence in Prayagraj on February 24.
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