Khalid Azim alias Ashraf Ahmed, the brother of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and one of the seven persons who have been acquitted in the 2006 Umesh Pal kidnapping case, claimed he has been threatened by an officer that he will be killed in two weeks.
“I have been threatened by an officer that I will be taken out of the jail in two weeks and will be killed…,” Ashraf can be heard telling reporters after being brought to Bareilly jail from Prayagraj, news agency ANI reported.
When asked about the name of the person, Ashraf said he can't take the name now but an envelope containing the name of "the officer" will be sent to Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath if he is killed.
{{/usCountry}}When asked about the name of the person, Ashraf said he can't take the name now but an envelope containing the name of "the officer" will be sent to Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath if he is killed.
{{/usCountry}}On being asked about the killing of Umesh Pal recently, he said all allegations levelled against him are fake. “The chief minister understands my pain as fake cases were also filed against him as well,” Ashraf said.
An MP-MLA court in Prayagraj held Atiq Ahmed and two others guilty on Tuesday in the Umesh Pal kidnapping case and sentenced them to rigorous imprisonment for life.
This is Atiq's first conviction even though more than 100 cases were registered against the former Samajwadi Party (SP) MP over the years.
Government counsel Gulab Chandra Agrahari said special MP-MLA court judge Dinesh Chandra Shukla held Ahmad, Saulat Hanif, a lawyer, and Dinesh Pasi guilty under section 364A (kidnapping or abduction in order to murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The two brothers have also been named as accused in the murder case.
The kidnapping case against Atiq, Ashraf and nine others emanates from the killing of then Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Raju Pal on January 25, 2005. Umesh Pal, who was then a zila panchayat member, had told police that he was a witness to Raju Pal's killing.
Umesh Pal had subsequently alleged that he was abducted at gunpoint on February 28, 2006, as he refused to retract under pressure from Atiq.
Last month, Umesh Pal was killed in broad daylight in Dhoomanganj area of Prayagraj allegedly by associates of Atiq.