OP Singh, the former DGP of UP Police has made shocking claims amid the controversy around the murder of Umesh Pal, a key eyewitness in the 2005 murder of the then BSP MLA Raju Pal who was shot dead on February 24, 2023, and gangster Atiq Ahmed’s involvement in it. The former DGP said that he could have ended the terror of gangster mafia Atiq Ahmed long back, however, he could not do so due the political pressure.
In an exclusive conversation with India Today, The former DGP claimed that he and a team of police officers raided Atiq’s den in 1989–1990 in response to an FIR filed against him while he was serving as the SP City of Allahabad (now Prayagraj).
At that point, the police team was encircled by thousands of Atiq Ahmed’s supporters who were set to shoot them.
‘Wanted to arrest Atiq Ahmed but could not do so due to political pressure’, the former DGP claims
Singh stated that the entire police party may have been shot down by the mafia’s men if he hadn’t informed Atiq that if his supporters fired even one shot at the police party, both Atiq and his supporters would be shot down by the police.
OP Singh also said that he wanted to arrest Atiq Ahmed and his gang right there, but political pressure compelled his team to return without making any arrests. He claimed that if Atiq had been detained or killed following an encounter with the police, the situation would not have become such a mess.
Moreover, Singh said that the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders and the people of Allahabad had praised his work at the time, but the mafia’s backing for the ruling party had caused him to become one of UP’s most feared gangsters.
It is pertinent to note that during the time period mentioned by the former UP Police DGP, Mulayam Singh Yadav was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. The former DGP has not taken Mulayam Yadav’s name directly. The leader who later formed the Samajwadi Party was then a leader of the Janata Dal. In the 1989 state assembly elections Janata Dal won 208 seats and Mulayam Singh Yadav became the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.
Umesh Pal murder
Umesh Pal, a key eyewitness in the 2005 murder of the then BSP MLA Raju Pal, was shot dead at his residence in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj on February 24. Umesh Pal was taken to a hospital immediately, but he passed away while receiving treatment.
On the complaint launched by Umesh Pal’s wife Jaya Pal, police booked Atiq Ahmed, his brother Ashraf, his wife Shaista Parveen, two sons, aides Guddu Muslim and Gulam, and nine others. It is notable that Atiq and Ashraf are the prime accused in the Raju Pal murder case.
The accused have been booked under sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with a deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Explosive Substances Act and the Criminal Law Amendment Act.
Notably, about 10 of Atiq’s gang members have been tracked by police. The police are currently searching for others in neighboring states as well as in different cities within UP.
UP CM Yogi Adityanath accuses Samajwadi Party of patronising criminals like Atiq Ahmed
The Umesh Pal murder case triggered a heated debate between BJP and SP in the Uttar Pradesh assembly in February after CM Yogi Adityanath said that SP was harbouring criminals and mafia in the state. As the key accused in the Raju Pal murder case are SP leaders, CM Yogi Adityanath accused the party of patronising criminals, evoking a strong reaction from Akhilesh Yadav in the house. Talking about the Umesh Pal murder, the CM asked, ‘these criminals and these mafias, after all, who harboured them? Is it not true that the mafia against whom the FIR was filed by the victim’s family was made MP by Samajwadi Party?’
Atiq Ahmed is a five-time MLA from Allahabad, he won as an independent in 1989, 1991 and 1993. He won the assembly seat from an SP ticket in 1996 and then won in 2002 from Apna Dal. In 2004, he won the Phulpur Lok Sabha seat from SP. He was expelled by SP in the year 2008, and he contested the 2009 Lok Sabha polls from Apna Dal, which is lost. He contested the polls from Prayagraj after he was arrested in the Raju Pal murder case. Atiq Ahmed contested the 2012 assembly polls from jail and lost to Raju Pal’s widow Puja Pal. Before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, he was again inducted into SP and contested the polls from the Shrawasti seat, which he lost to BJP. Apart from the Raju Pal murder case, Atiq Ahmed is also facing several other criminal cases including cases of assault, kidnapping, torture, etc.
