UP Police Takes Custody of Gangster Atiq Ahmed in Gujarat, to Produce Him Before Court on March 28

A team of Uttar Pradesh Police on Sunday took custody of mafia don-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad from Sabarmati jail in Ahmedabad and will produce him before the court in Prayagraj on March 28 in connection Umesh Pal kidnapping case.

Atiq, who is lodged in Sabarmati jail, is being brought back to Prayagraj in connection with an old kidnapping case of Umesh Pal in which he is the main accused. He is one of the accused in Umesh Pal’s kidnapping case and the verdict on the same will be delivered on March 28.

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Atiq is being brought back to Uttar Pradesh in a police van and another escort van will accompany him during the 1,275 km road journey.

As per sources privy to the development, Atiq Ahmed’s lawyer will approach the High Court seeking a stay on his transfer from Sabarmati jail on grounds of threat to his life.

“Atiq Ahmed’s lawyer will request the Chief Justice not to be brought from Sabarmati Jail. The layers will argue that there is a threat to Atiq’s life if he’s brought to Uttar Pradesh physically. If he’s moved, his layers will request for video recording of his transfer,” sources said.

A 15-member police team reached Ahmedabad with the relevant court documents needed to bring Atiq to Prayagraj. Getting a stay on transfer at this point is highly unlikely, sources said.

His supporters are apprehensive of his security during the transfer from Ahmedabad to Prayagraj since some BJP leaders, including BJP MP from Kannauj Subrat Pathak, have already said that they would not be surprised if Atiq’s car overturns.

Sources say his lawyers in Delhi are also exploring options for relief from the Supreme Court as well.

Ahmed is the main accused in the 2005 murder case of the then BSP MLA Raju Pal, and was recently booked after Umesh Pal, a key witness in the case, was shot dead in Prayagraj in UP on February 24.

Ahmed has been lodged in Sabarmati jail since June 2019, after the Supreme Court had in April that year directed he be shifted to a high-security jail in Gujarat after he was accused of orchestrating the kidnapping and assault of a businessman while in jail.

Earlier this month, Ahmed had moved the Supreme Court for protection, claiming he and his family have been falsely “roped in” as accused in the Umesh Pal murder case and the Uttar Pradesh police may kill him in a fake encounter.

In his plea, Ahmed had claimed the Uttar Pradesh police were likely to seek his transit remand to take him from Ahmedabad to Prayagraj and he “genuinely apprehends that he may be eliminated during this transit period”

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