Most Wanted ex-MP Atiq Ahmed arrested by Delhi police

Lok Sabha MP from Phulpur, Uttar Pradesh Atiq Ahmed finally arrested on murder charges by the Delhi Police from a residential area in Pitampura, western Delhi on Thursday evening.

Atiq Ahmad was arrested in murder of 2006 Lok Sabha legislator Raju Pal, belonging to the Bahujan Samaj Party, who was shot dead in Allahabad in 2006.

Police sources said that the expelled Lok Sabha legislator was among the 'most wanted' criminals of Uttar Pradesh. He was carrying a reward of Rs 20,000 on his head.

The state police record describes the expelled Samajwadi Party MP as chief of a gang of 138 members. And as per official records, he was still facing trial in as many as 35 criminal cases in different courts.

The don turned politician Atiq Ahmad's criminal history dates back to 1979, the year when the first criminal case was registered against him. Since then, he was booked in as many as 175 cases in his home district, Allahabad.

The crimes allegedly committed by Atiq include murder, attempt to murder, extortion, rioting, and kidnapping for ransom.

Delhi police informed that Ahmad’s name is involved in 13 criminal cases on charges comprising murder and extortion. He was to appear in a Delhi court on Friday and later he would be handed over to the Uttar Pradesh police.

On January 11, Ahmed, who was expelled by his own Samajwadi Party, denied his involvement in killing of Pal. In reply to a question, why he did not surrender to the UP police if he thought to be innocent, he said that because he allegedly received a death threat from UP Chief Minister Mayawati.

Earlier in January, Mayawati had accused Congress leaders of conspiring to eliminate her and claimed that they were "patronising" Ahmed whom she dubbed as "mafia".

Much earlier before the arrest, the absconder Ahmed had told media that the state police would eliminate him forever once they took him into custody.

He had said, "Police could do this on the pretext of the charges levelled by Mayawati against me that there was a threat to her life from me.”

The Mayawati government had issued a non-bailable warrant against Ahmad in May 2007. The Samajwadi Party expelled immediately after the UP Police released his sketches in the murder case.

The murder was allegedly the outcome of the legislator Raju Pal’s enmity with Ahmed and his brother Ashraf Azeem. Pal was murdered in Allahabad on January 26, 2005 on the way when he was going to his village to participate in the Republic Day function.

Mayawati had demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe in the case and accused the ruling Congress at Centre of patronising Ahmed.

There is a long list of criminals turned politicians, who consider politics as the safest place. Most disappointing is the political parties, who are ready to give ticket to these bahuballis (goons). It is because the party know very well that muscular and wealth power is the sure recipe to gain success in election.