"Yogi Adityanath buried gangster who killed my husband”: SP MLA thanks UP CM for justice

Samajwadi Party MLA Pooja Pal on Thursday thanked Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for delivering justice in the 2005 murder of her husband, former BSP MLA Raju Pal. She said the CM’s zero-tolerance policy against crime significantly improved law and order in the state and led to the elimination of criminals like Atiq Ahmed.

Raju Pal was shot dead in Prayagraj on January 25, 2005, just days after his wedding to Pooja Pal. Police investigations indicated the murder was linked to political rivalry with gangster Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf, whom Raju had defeated in the 2004 bypoll for the Prayagraj West seat. Pooja Pal stated, “Everyone knows who murdered my husband. I want to thank the Chief Minister for bringing me justice and hearing me when nobody else did.”

Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were shot dead on April 15, 2023, by three men posing as media personnel while being taken for a medical examination in Prayagraj. The killings followed the death of Atiq’s son Asad in an alleged encounter in Jhansi. Umesh Pal, a key witness in Raju Pal’s murder case, was also shot dead in February 2023 in Prayagraj’s Sulem Saray area. A judicial commission investigating the gangsters’ deaths ruled out pre-planned conspiracy or police negligence, while the state informed the Supreme Court that it is ensuring a fair and impartial investigation.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had taken over Raju Pal’s murder case in 2016. In 2024, a CBI court convicted seven individuals — Ranjeet Pal, Abid, Farhan Ahmad, Israr Ahmad, Javed, Gulhasan, and Abdul Kavi — on charges including criminal conspiracy, murder, and violations under the Indian Arms Act. Farhan Ahmad was specifically convicted under the Arms Act.

Speaking in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly during a discussion on ‘Vision Document 2047,’ Pooja Pal said, “Mere pati ke hatyare Atiq Ahmed ko Mukhya Mantri ne mitti mein milaane ka kaam kiya. I raised my voice when I saw that no one wanted to fight against criminals like Atiq Ahmed. When I started getting exhausted with this fight, CM Yogi Adityanath gave me justice.” She also added that the CM’s policies restored public trust and provided justice to many other women in Prayagraj affected by criminal violence.