Grabbing land was main source of income for Atiq’s gang: Police

Police have seized various properties of slain mafia brothers Atiq Ahmed, Ashraf, as well as close kin worth several hundred crores under the provisions of the Gangsters Act during the last few years

Even as Prayagraj Development Authority (PDA) has built flats for the poor on the land freed from the illegal possession of now deceased gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed, a police probe has revealed that grabbing land was the main source of income for Atiq’s gang.

Many properties were also registered in the name of Atiq’s wife Shaista Parveen. (For Representation)

His henchmen duped people also in the name of selling plots in townships and sold the same plots to others later. In other instances, the slain gangster’s henchmen grabbed plots on the basis of forged documents, police officials citing their probe into the modus operandi of the Atiq’s gang said.

Police have seized various properties of Atiq Ahmed, his brother Ashraf, as well as close kin worth several hundred crores under the provisions of the Gangsters Act during the last few years.

Many of the properties were also registered in the name of Atiq’s wife Shaista Parveen. On the other hand, investigations are still on by the police and the Enforcement Directorate to identify benami properties of Atiq’s family.

Police officials said most of the properties were illegally acquired by Atiq Ahmed through his terror and influence. Police have till now attached 20 properties of Atiq in Peepalgaon, Jhalwa, Civil Lines, Lukarganj and Kasari Masari Chowk, Puramufti, Chakia, Kareli, Jhunsi and other areas of Prayagraj district besides in Kaushambi and Lucknow and Noida.

These properties included land and buildings at prime locations worth several hundred crores. Police and district administration officials are now taking further action to seize the remaining properties as Atiq’s kin have failed to provide details of transactions regarding them.

Atiq’s gang IS-227 was involved in illegal real estate business. On Atiq’s behest, lands of farmers at prime locations were taken for plotting and developing illegal townships without approval by PDA and other authorities concerned.

During the last few years, dozens of cases were registered against Atiq and his associates for grabbing lands and properties or demanding extortion in return of releasing them. These FIRs were lodged at Dhumanganj, Kareli, Puramufti police stations of Prayagraj.