LUCKNOW: Vijay Mishra, the lawyer who represented slain gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed, was arrested by Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj police on Sunday in connection with the Umesh Pal murder case, officials in the know said.
According to officials, Mishra was nabbed from outside a hotel by a police team in Lucknow around Saturday midnight. Officials in Lucknow said custody of Mishra was handed over to Prayagraj police on Sunday.
Umesh Pal, who was the main witness in the 2005 murder of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Raju Pal, along with his two gunners were shot dead in the Dhoomanganj area on February 24. Mishra had been accused of sharing the location of Pal from Prayagraj court before Pal.
Police said that Mishra has been arrested after it was confirmed that he was involved in the murder conspiracy of Pal.
Deputy commissioner of police (DCP) (City) Deepak Bhukar said in a statement on Sunday that Mishra has been lodged in Naini central jail, even as legal proceedings against Vijay Mishra are now on.
DCP Bhukar stated that Mishra’s arrest was made based on responses during questioning of an accused in the case who was arrested earlier. Police has also collected enough evidence against Mishra following investigations, he added.
Releasing a press release on Sunday, Prayagraj police said Mishra, who is a resident of Kakra village of Prayagraj’s trans-Ganga area, was wanted in the Pal murder case.
Police also said that a first information report (FIR) has been lodged against Mishra under sections 147/148/149 (rioting with deadly weapon and unlawful assembly)/302 (murder)/307 (attempt to murder)/506 (criminal intimidation)/34 (common intention for criminal activity)/120 B of the Indian Penal Code besides under the Explosives Act, 7 CLA Act and 3(2)V of the SC/ST Act.
Police said Mishra’s name cropped up in the case following interrogation of Atiq’s other lawyer, Khan Saulat Hanif, who is currently lodged in jail, during his remand in custody.
Hanif informed that Mishra had shared the location of Pal on his way out of the Prayagraj district court on February 24, while also sending his photographs to Atiq’s son Asad, police informed.
In May this year, an FIR was lodged at Attarsuiya police station against Mishra by a plywood trader, for allegedly demanding extortion money to the tune of Rs.3 crore.
In his complaint, the trader named Mohd Saeed had claimed that Mishra took goods from his shop without paying. However, when he called him for payment, Mishra issued threats and demanded extortion from him in Atiq’s name. An audio in which Mishra purportedly asked the trader to settle Rs.3 crore he had taken from Atiq, had also gone viral on social media.
Meanwhile, Police maintains that Mishra has seven criminal cases, including provisions of the Gangster Act, registered against him at other police stations as well. Dhumanganj police have also filed two charge sheets in the Pal murder case.
While the name of Sadaqat Khan appears in the first charge sheet, in the second charge sheet submitted to the SC/ST court on June 17, the police included the names of accused Akhlaq Ahmad, Khan Saulat Hanif, Shahrukh, Niaz Ahmad, Qais Ahmad, Mohd Sajar, Rakesh Kumar and Arshad Khan aka Arshad Katra.
Atiq’s wife Shaista Parveen, his brother Ashraf’s wife Zainab, their sister Ayesha Noori and her two daughters besides, assailants Guddu Muslim, Sabir and Armaan are still at large in the Pal murder case.
The four assailants captured in CCTV footage of the assault on Pal, who included Atiq’s son Asad, Ghulam Hasan, Vijay Chaudhary aka Usman and driver Arbaaz, were later killed in a gunfights with the police and special task force teams earlier this year in April.
It is said Atiq’s lawyer Mishra was known to be present when Atiq and his brother Ashraf were gunned down by three assailants at Motilal Nehru (Colvin) Divisional Hospital on April 15 this year.
Despite being served notices issued by the judicial commission and special investigation team formed for the enquiry into the murders, Mishra did not appear in court to record his statement, police said.
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