Reward for Atiq Ahmed's wife in Umesh Pal murder case questioned by BSP MLA

• UP Police has announced a Rs 25,000 cash reward for information leading to Parveen's arrest
• Singh stressed that BSP chief Mayawati has already announced that action will be taken against Parveen if the allegations against her are proven
• Atiq, currently lodged in a Gujarat prison, is the main accused in the 2005 murder of BSP legislator Raju Pal

BSP leader Uma Shankar Singh on Monday backed Shaista Parveen, wife of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed, saying the police's cash reward for information about her was an attempt to “distract” from the failure to solve the problem. Umesh Pal murder case. The Uttar Pradesh police announced a cash reward of Rs 25,000 for information leading to Parveen's arrest.

Questioning the move, Singh said, “The act of announcing the reward is an attempt by the police to divert attention.” Addressing reporters at a rally in Uttar Pradesh, the BSP leader added, “Even after 15 days of the incident, the hands of the Prayagraj police are empty. People shouldn't question them, that's why the reward was announced.

“A reward of Rs 2.5 million has also been announced for the gunman, but no one has been nabbed so far. Defending Parveen Rasra, the MLA said, “Shaista Parveen has no relation, even remotely, to the murder case. Even the police couldn't prove it. He's a social person.”

“Shaista Parveen is all set to become Mayor of Prayagraj and BJP will lose the seat. This is the (reason) behind BJP's fury.” Singh pointed out that BSP chief Mayawati had already announced that action would be taken against Parveen if the allegations against her were proved. “We still stand by it. Shaista Parveen will be expelled from the party if the allegation is proved,” he said.

BSP never compromises on matters of crime, Singh added. Singh, who questioned the move to arrest Parveen on the basis of her photograph with a criminal, said that a photograph of the gunman with Akhilesh Yadav, national president of the Samajwadi Party, also surfaced in the media recently. “Will the police arrest Akhilesh Yadav? If action is being taken based on the photo, why hasn't Akhilesh Yadav been arrested yet? He is moving freely,” the BSP leader said.

A reward of Rs 25,000 for Parveen, who is currently on the run, was announced on Friday, Dhumanganj police station SHO Rajesh Kumar Maurya said. An FIR was registered at Dhumanganj police station in Prayagraj on the complaint of Umesh Pal's wife after he and his two security personnel were shot dead on February 24.

Atiq, currently lodged in a Gujarat jail, is the main accused in the murder of BSP legislator Raju Pal in 2005. Atiq, his brother Ashraf and wife were accused in connection with the killing of Umesh Pal, a key witness in the Raju Pal murder case.