Umesh Pal murder: Atiq Ahmad moves Supreme Court against transfer to UP jail

Uttar Pradesh's dreaded mafia don-turned-former MP Atiq Ahmad has filed a plea in the Supreme Court against shifting him to Prayagraj from Gujarat's Sabarmati jail in a case related to the killing of a witness in a daylight shooting incident on February 25, fearing that he might be "eliminated" in a fake encounter by the police.

In a writ petition, the petitioner, who reportedly faced over 100 criminal cases, contended that he was a five-time consecutive time MLA and one-time elected MP.

Some local leaders, holding important chairs in the UP government couldn't accept the induction of his wife in BSP and her candidature in the Mayoral elections because they know their fate in local body elections (corporation elections) as well as in forthcoming Parliament elections in 2024. So they have conspired the murder plan of the deceased Umesh Pal, who is the complainant in a case against the petitioner in which his evidence got recorded six years ago, his plea said.

He claimed there was no motive for him to kill him (Umesh).

"After the murder of Umesh Pal, the opposition put fuel in the fire in the house which provoked Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to say he would finish mafia (me) "mafia ko mitti me mila denge" (Mafia will be finished) because petitioner was the main subject matter of discussion in the house," it said.

"This statement of the CM of UP strengthened the devious plan of some police officers who are playing in hands of political rivals. They are planning to eliminate the petitioner and his brother in transit between jail to court. In the past three years some incidents like this had happened in Uttar Pradesh by UP Police," the plea contended.

Ahmad and his brother Ashraf, along with several others were named as the accused in the murder case of Raju Pal, then BSP MLA from Allahabad (West) constituency in 2005. On February 25, one of the witnesses Umesh Pal was killed in Prayagraj in which the wife of Ahmad, all four sons, and brother have been roped in as accused of "mere suspicion".

The writ petition sought directions to protect the life and also to ensure that no physical or bodily injury or harm is done to him "in any manner whatsoever during the police custody/ remand/ interrogation," and also issue orders from taking the petitioner from central jail Ahmedabad to Prayagraj or any part of the state of UP.

"Therefore, there is a genuine and perceptible threat to the life of the petitioner and his family members. He genuinely apprehends and believes that the petitioner may be killed in fake encounters on one pretext or the other by UP police, in view of a deep political conspiracy against petitioner and his family members petitioner," it claimed.

"If at all, he is directed to be shifted to Uttar Pradesh, it should be under the security of central forces," the plea stated.