Umesh Pal Murder: Atiq Ahmed moves Supreme Court seeking protection of life

Former Samajwadi Party leader Atiq Ahmed on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court seeking its protection, claiming that he has been "roped in" as an accused in the Umesh Pal murder case and fears threat to his life.

Ahmed who is currently lodged in the Ahmedabad Central Jail, has also sought directions to ensure that no physical or bodily injury or harm is done to him in any manner during police custody or interrogation.

He has also sought a direction restraining the state of Uttar Pradesh and others from taking him from the Central Jail in Ahemdabad to Prayagraj or any other part of Uttar Pradesh.

Authorities bulldoze house of close aid of Atiq Ahmed

The Prayagraj Development Authority on Wednesday demolished the house of Ahmed's close aide.

Prayagraj Development Authority secretary Ajit Singh said the house belonging to Zafar Ahmed has been bulldozed. He stated that Atiq's wife Shaista Parveen used to stay in the same house earlier.

His security guard was also killed in the shootout by five men. The murder was allegedly planned by the gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed.

Umesh Pal, a witness to the 2005 murder case of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Raju Pal, was killed in broad daylight shooting outside his home in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj.

Arbaaz, an accused in the Umesh Pal murder case, was killed in an encounter with the police on Monday. Dhoomanganj police station SHO Rajesh Maurya also suffered injuries in the encounter.

On the basis of a complaint lodged by Pal's wife Jaya Pal, a case was registered at Dhoomanganj police station (in Prayagraj) against Atiq Ahmed, his brother Ashraf, wife Shaista Parveen, two sons, aides Guddu Muslim and Gulam and nine others.

(With PTI inputs)