BSP MLA Raju Pal Murder Case: The special CBI court on Friday sentenced seven people after convicting them in the BSP MLA Raju Pal murder case. In January 2005, the BSP MLA was murdered along with Devi Lal Pal and Sandeep Yadav in broad daylight in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. The CBI had filed a charge sheet against 10 people, including former MP Atiq Ahmed and his younger brother former MLA Ashraf alias Khalid Azim. However, Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf Ahmed were shot by three youths while being taken by police from a hospital in Prayagraj last year.
Others convicted include Abid, Farhan Ahmed, Javed, Ranjeet, Israr, Gul Hasan and Abdul Kavi. Gulphool alias Rafiq Ahmed also died during the trial. Farhan has been sentenced to 4 years imprisonment by the court. The remaining 6 convicts have been given life imprisonment.
Atiq could not tolerate his brother’s defeat
On the instructions of the Supreme Court, the investigation of Raju Pal murder case was transferred to CBI on January 22, 2016. Raju Pal was murdered due to personal rivalry. Raju had won the assembly by-election from Prayagraj West seat in 2004. This seat had become vacant after Atiq became MP from Phulpur in the Lok Sabha elections. Raju had defeated Ashraf who was contesting on Samajwadi Party ticket. Mafia Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf could not tolerate the defeat.
The attackers fired bullets after stopping the car
According to the prosecution, on January 25, 2005, the assailants stopped Raju’s car at Neeva crossing under Dhumanganj police station. Raju was returning home with his friends when the attackers came on two four-wheelers and blocked his path. When Raju tried to escape, the attackers started firing. Raju and his two associates Devi Lal Pal and Sandeep Yadav were killed in the firing. While three others Ruksana, Saif alias Saifullah and Om Prakash Pal were injured by bullets.
Pooja became widow after 9 days
On the same day, Raju’s wife Pooja Pal lodged an FIR at Dhumanganj police station against Atiq, Ashraf and seven unidentified people on charges of rioting, attempt to murder, murder and criminal conspiracy. This incident happened just nine days after their marriage.
BSP MLA Raju Pal murder case CBI court convicts all 7 accused. Slain criminal-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were also accused in the case.
Quantum of sentence to be pronounced soon.
— ANI (@ANI) March 29, 2024
The case was handed over to CBI on the orders of the Supreme Court.
Prayagraj police investigated and filed a charge sheet against 11 people, including Atiq and Ashraf, in a local court on April 6, 2005. In December 2008, the then state government transferred the investigation to UP CB-CID. Who filed charge sheet against seven other accused in the case. The investigation of the case was later handed over to the CBI on January 22, 2016. The case was handed over to CBI on the orders of the Supreme Court on the petition of Pooja Pal.
Ashraf was present at the scene
The accused have been convicted under charges of IPC 302 (murder), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 147 (rioting), and 148 (rioting with armed weapons). The investigating agency said that during the investigation, the CBI recorded the statements of Raju’s associates, local shopkeepers and onlookers present at the spot. Who took names of 10 people including Ashraf. The CBI has filed a chargesheet against nine of the 10, while one, Nafees Kalia alias Nafees Ahmed, has died. The agency also said that the call records of Ashraf’s cellphone confirmed that he was present at the crime scene.
The seven people who have been given clean chit include Ashiq alias Malli, Ajaz Akhtar, Akbar, Dinesh Pasi, Muslim alias Guddu, Gufran Ahmed and Mutaisan. All of them were chargesheeted first by the local police and later by the UP Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID), which said they found no evidence against them.
