In the recent development of the Raju Pal murder case, the seventh accused, Israr Ahmed, was sentenced to life imprisonment by a special CBI court. Additionally, Ahmed was fined Rs 1.9 lakh. Notably, he was absent during the court session on March 29, where the other six accused—Abid, Farhan Ahmad, Javed, Gulhasan, Ranjeet Pal, and Abdul Kavi—were also handed life sentences along with a collective fine of Rs. 11.65 lakh. A non-bailable warrant was issued against Ahmed, and discussions on his sentencing were postponed.
The case dates back to April 8, 2016, when the CBI took over the investigation following orders from the Supreme Court issued on January 22, 2016. The apex court’s directives stemmed from CA No. 77/2016 arising from SLP (Crl.) No. 1458/2015 filed by the deceased’s wife, urging a fair and prompt trial. The Supreme Court instructed the CBI to conduct a fresh investigation (“De Novo”) and expedite the trial proceedings.
The initial incident occurred on January 25, 2005, when Raju Pal, a sitting MLA of the UP Legislative Assembly, along with his associates Devi Din Pal and Sandeep Yadav, was murdered in the Police Station Dhoomanganj area. Allegations suggested that a group intercepted their vehicle near Amit Deep Maruti Agency and fatally shot Raju Pal. It was further claimed that the murder was orchestrated by Atiq Ahmed, then a Member of Lok Sabha. The case was initially handled by the UP Police, which later transferred it to the CB-CID, UP, leading to the filing of three supplementary chargesheets.
Following the De Novo investigation, the CBI filed charges against 10 accused individuals, including Khalid Azim, Atiq Ahmad, Ranjeet Pal, Abid, Farhan Ahmad, Israr Ahmad, Javed, Gulful @ Rafiq, Gulhasan, and Abdul Kavi, under various sections of the IPC. During the trial, Atiq Ahmad and Ashraf passed away, resulting in the abatement of the trial against them. The charges were formally framed against the remaining nine accused on October 20, 2022.
Overall, the sentencing of Israr Ahmed adds another chapter to the prolonged legal saga surrounding the Raju Pal murder case, underscoring the intricacies and challenges inherent in ensuring justice in such high-profile criminal matters.
