Infamous former Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) and notorious criminal, Haji Iqbal, has vanished following a notice of attachment placed on his land, throwing its current residents into chaos.
Iqbal, a former Member of Legislative Council (MLC) from Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), is a recurring figure in law enforcement investigations. The land, located in the ‘New Friends Colony’ or Pranav Vihar, was sold at an extremely low cost to impoverished locals by Iqbal’s men. The unwitting buyers were unaware that this property, previously owned by Iqbal, was subject to confiscation proceedings initiated by the authorities.
This notorious figure, accused of numerous crimes including illegal mining, property usurpation, assault, robbery, kidnapping, and lethal attacks, tops the government’s list of mafia operatives. In 2017, as law enforcement started closing in, Iqbal’s henchmen began selling the 41-acre property in small pieces.
With 52 cases filed against him in Saharanpur, Iqbal stands only second to Vijay Mishra, another former legislator on the government’s list. The fugitive has a reward of one lakh for information leading to his capture, an amount likely to increase under intensifying pressure to apprehend him.
Following a thorough investigation, District Magistrate (DM) Dinesh Chandra ordered the attachment of Iqbal’s properties valued at Rs 506 crore. To date, properties worth Rs 301 crore in Lucknow and Noida, and properties worth Rs 203 crore in Saharanpur, have been attached and seized respectively by the police-administration teams.
The victims have petitioned DM Dinesh Chandra for justice, presenting evidence of their land registrations and seeking protection of their land rights. In response, Chandra has assured that no injustice will befall them and that the inhabitants of Pranav Vihar will not be disturbed during the investigation process. A full investigation is underway, with action anticipated against those involved in the fraudulent land sales. The manhunt for Iqbal, who is also under investigation for alleged money laundering worth INR 10,000 crore, continues with half a dozen teams actively seeking him. Iqbal’s sons Abdul Wajid, Javed, Mohammad Afzal, Alishan, his brother and former MLA Mohammad Ali, also implicated in multiple cases, are currently incarcerated.
Despite the gravity of these allegations, Iqbal has managed to avoid arrest thus far. But authorities are making progress, with the seizure of properties valued at INR 337 crore, and the Enforcement Directorate attaching assets worth INR 1,097 crore in 2021. Iqbal, once known for his political prowess, is now infamously branded a mafia kingpin, with his capture being a priority for authorities.
