The state government has directed Deoria jail authorities to probe the incident.
A real-estate businessman, Mohit Jaiswal, has alleged that he was abducted from Lucknow and driven to the Deoria jail, almost 300 km away, on December 26 where gangster Atiq Ahmed, his son Umar, and their associates assaulted him, forced him to sign over property worth Rs 48 crore to two of their associates, and took his SUV.
Police arrested two of Ahmed’s associates, Ghulam Moindeen and Irfan, Saturday from Gomti Nagar in Lucknow and recovered the SUV from their possession based on an FIR by Jaiswal. The state government has directed Deoria jail authorities to probe the incident.
Ahmed, a historysheeter with at least 70 cases against him, including the murder of BSP MLA Raju Pal in 2005 in Allahabad, has been lodged in Deoria district jail since March last year after being transferred from Allahabad’s Naini jail. He has been incarcerated since February 2017 after being booked for allegedly assaulting faculty members of an agriculture institute in Allahabad in 2016.
In his FIR, Jaiswal has named Ahmed, his son Umar, Atiq’s associates Farooque, Zaki Ahmed, Jafar Ullah, Ghulam Sarvar and 10-12 unidentified people on charges including attempt to murder at the Krishna Nagar police station in Lucknow, said police.
Circle Officer, Krishna Nagar, Lal Pratap Singh said that two police gunners have been deployed for Jaiswal’s security. Jaiswal could not be reached for comment.
According to the police, Jaiswal has alleged that around two years ago, Ahmed, through his associates, threatened him with “dire consequences” after which he paid him extortion money. Since then, police said, Ahmed’s associates allegedly stopped harassing him.
Jaiswal further told the police that for the last four months, Ahmed’s associates Farooque and Zaki have harassed him seeking more extortion money.
Krishna Nagar police station SHO, Yash Kant Singh said that according to Jaiswal, on December 26 Ahmed’s associate took him to the Deoria jail in Jaiswal’s own SUV where he was assaulted inside the barrack where Ahmed is lodged.
“Mohit, who deals in the real-estate business, claims that when he reached the jail barrack where Atiq was lodged, his son and 10-12 unidentified persons were already present there. On Atiq’s orders, his associates assaulted him following which his two fingers of the right hand were fractured. He also suffered injuries on his back,” said Yash Kant.
“Mohit claims Atiq’s associates then forcibly made him sign papers transferring ownership of four companies worth Rs 48 crore to two associates-Farooque and Zaki. Mohit claims they also took his signatures on several blank papers bearing the letterhead of his companies. Mohit alleged he was forced to give his and his sister’s digital signatures to them.”
According to Jaiswal, even after the assault on December 26, Ahmed’s associates have visited his house and threatened him and his family. After this, Jaiswal approached the police and registered an FIR.
Additional Director General, Prisons, Chandra Prakash has ordered an inquiry. “Senior Superintendent of Gorakhpur district jail, Ramdhani has been asked to probe the incident and submit a report at the earliest,” he said.
A former SP MP and five-time MLA from Allahabad West, Atiq Ahmed unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha bypoll from Phulpur as an Independent this year. His son, Umar looked after the campaign.
Additional Superintendent of Police, (Lucknow East), Sarvesh Mishra said a police team, after permission from the court, will go to the Deoria jail for investigation. Meanwhile, Principal Secretary, Home, Arvind Kumar issued a statement that the UP government has sought a report from the ADG Prisons by Monday to “fix responsibility regarding the lapse in Deoria jail. Action will be taken on receipt of the report tomorrow”.
In 2004, Ahmed was elected to the Lok Sabha as an SP candidate and contested the 2009 Lok Sabha elections from Pratapgarh as an Apna Dal candidate, where he lost. He also contested the 2012 Assembly election from Allahabad West under the Apna Dal but lost again.
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