New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak on Tuesday said the Yogi Adityanath-led government is committed to strengthening the law and order situation in the state and ensuring that “no criminal is able to escape the law”. Talking to reporters, Pathak said, ‘We are following the court’s decision, now criminals will not be able to escape in Uttar Pradesh. The government is monitoring the whole matter and our aim is to get the harshest punishment.
The Deputy Chief Minister of UP made this remark while referring to the questions asked by the UP Police on the transportation of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed from Gujarat to Prayagraj.
Atiq Ahmed will shift from Gujarat to Prayagraj
The Uttar Pradesh Police had earlier reached Gujarat’s Sabarmati Jail to bring mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed to Prayagraj in connection with the Umesh Pal murder case. Umesh, who was a key witness in the 2005 murder of Bahujan Samaj Party MLA Raju Pal, was shot dead outside his home in Prayagraj in February this year. Based on a complaint lodged by his wife Jaya Pal, a case was registered against Ahmed, his brother Ashraf, his wife Shaista Parveen, their two sons, Guddu Muslim and Ghulam, and nine others.
They don’t want to kill me, alleges Ateeq
The gangster-turned-politician has alleged that the UP police want to kill him and that is why he is being moved from Gujarat jail to Prayagraj. Earlier last month, Atiq Ahmed was brought to Prayagraj by road from Sabarmati Jail for hearing in a kidnapping case.
Atiq Ahmed convicted in Umesh Pal kidnapping case
An MP/MLA court had convicted him and two others in the 2006 Umesh Pal kidnapping case and sentenced him to life imprisonment. This was the first conviction for the 60-year-old former Samajwadi Party MP even though he has more than 100 cases registered against him. In 2006, Atiq Ahmed and his associates kidnapped Umesh Pal and forced him to give a statement in their favor in court. Umesh Pal had lodged a complaint in this regard.
Will not field Atiq Ahmed’s wife in Prayagraj mayor election: Mayawati
Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati has said that her party will not field gangster Atiq Ahmed’s wife Shaista Parveen or any other member of her family in the mayoral election in Prayagraj. Parveen had joined the BSP on 5 January in the presence of its senior leaders, and was reportedly being considered as the party’s mayoral candidate for Prayagraj. Urban local body elections will be held in the state on May 4 and 11.
“As far as Shaista Parveen is concerned, I want to make it clear that the situation has changed as soon as the name of Atiq’s wife came to the fore and after she went underground, as per media reports regarding Umesh Pal murder case, Mayawati told reporters here. He said, “In such a situation, our party will neither give mayor ticket to Atiq’s wife nor any member of his family.”
Atiq Ahmed, his brother Ashraf and wife have been booked in connection with the February 24 murder of Umesh Pal, a witness in the 2005 Raju Pal murder case. Two security personnel were also martyred in the attack on Umesh Pal.
Mayawati’s statement comes days after the police registered a case against Atiq Ahmed, his wife and their son Ali in a forgery case related to the murder of Umesh Pal. An FIR was lodged at Dhumanganj police station in Prayagraj on Saturday.