Umesh Pal murder: Allahabad HC rejects bail plea of Atiq Ahmed's son

Rejecting the bail application of gangster and former MP Atiq Ahmed's son Ali Ahmed in a case of attempt to murder and extortion, the Allahabad High Court has said the accused is a "mafia don in making" as his name has also figured in last week's killing of Umesh Pal, prime witness in 2005 murder case of a then BSP MLA.

"Therefore, if he comes out of jail, he would be a threat to witnesses and society', the court said.

Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh observed, "Mafia don Atiq Ahmed and his family have accumulated wealth and properties of several hundred crores in this fashion from proceeds of crime.

"The accused applicant Ali Ahmed is a mafia don himself in making, as his role has figured in the commission of the offence of murder of Umesh Pal, the star witness in the murder case of MLA Raju Pal... Such a criminal, if comes out from jail on bail, would be a threat not only to the witnesses but also a constant threat to the society".

The bail application was related to a criminal case registered against Ali Ahmed on December 31, 2022 at Police Station Kareily of Prayagraj district under sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 386 (extortion by putting a person under fear of death or grievous hurt) of IPC.

Refusing to grant relief to Ali Ahmed, the court in its order dated February 27 said, "Considering the entire facts and circumstances of the case and also looking to the allegation and the criminal antecedents of the accused-applicant, this court does not find any ground to enlarge the accused-applicant on bail".

The court noted that the applicant is the son of one of the "most dreaded criminals, Bahubali and mafia don, Atiq Ahmed, who has to his credit more than hundred criminal cases of murder, abduction, extortion, ransom, property grabbing and other heinous offences".

The applicant himself has other three criminal cases registered against him", it noted

"Recently, the name of the accused-applicant has also got figured in a most daring and gruesome murder of Umesh Pal, star witness in the case of murder of sitting MLA, Raju Pal, which was allegedly committed by his father and other accused in a broad daylight in which Raju Pal and three more persons were killed by firing at them several gunshots from automatic weapons," the court added.

Atiq Ahmed is presently lodged in a Gujarat jail.