An MP-MLA court in Prayagraj on Tuesday sentenced mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed to life imprisonment in the 2006 Umesh Pal kidnapping case.
The court pronounced life sentences to Atiq Ahmed, Dinesh Pasi and Khan Saulat Hanif in the case and also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on each of the three. All the other seven accused in the case, including Ashraf, the brother of Atiq Ahmed, have been acquitted.
“He (Atiq Ahmed) was sentenced to life imprisonment for kidnapping my son, but he should be given a death sentence for killing my son. I have faith in UP CM Yogi Adityanath and the judicial system: Shanti Devi, the mother of Umesh Pal, said after the court’s verdict.
Jaya Devi, the widow of Umesh Pal, said, “We are satisfied with the judgement as of now. Atiq Ahmed should be given a death sentence for killing my husband. We want justice, and I request that UP CM Yogi Adityanath help us.
Atiq Ahmed, a former MP and MLA, who has over 100 cases registered against him, was brought by Uttar Pradesh police from Ahmedabad’s Sabarmati Jail to Prayagraj’s Naini jail on Monday after an over 24-hour long drive from Gujarat.
Ahmed’s conviction today comes after Umesh Pal an advocate and a prime witness in the 2005 murder case of BSP MLA Raju Pal, was shot dead in Prayagraj on 24 February this year.