SC refuses Atiq Ahmed's plea seeking protection from UP Police

The top court refused to entertain the former Samajwadi Party leader who was fearing threat to his life while being shifted to Prayagraj from Sabarmati Jail in Gujarat.

New Delhi:The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to entertain Atiq Ahmed's plea seeking protection from Pragraj Police as the gangster-turned politician did not want to be shifted to Uttar Pradesh jail. The apex court further instructed his lawyer to approach the jurisdictional High Court for redressal of grievances.

The petition was filed by Ahmed who raised apprehensions of danger to his life while being shifted to an Uttar Pradesh jail in connection with the Umesh Pal murder case. Though his lawyer sought the top court's directions for interim protection citing the life threat, the court denied relief stating that the state machinery will take care of it.

On Sunday, while he was being shifted from the Sabarmati Central Jail, Atiq Ahmed expressed fear that he might be murdered. He cried "Hatya, hatya (murder, murder)," while speaking to reporters outside the jail. The alleged that the police including the state machinery intends to murder him while being shifted to Prayagraj.

The Uttar Pradesh police team reached Sabarmati jail in Ahmedabad Sunday morning and left with Ahmed amid tight security around 6 pm in the evening. Ahmed along with his brother is being produced before a court in Praygraj on March 28. The court will pass an order in a kidnapping case, in which he is an accused.

The former Samajwadi Party MP has been lodged in the Sabarmati central jail since June 2019. This was after the top court, in April 2019, directed him to be shifted out from the UP jail as Ahmed was accused of kidnapping and assaulting a real estate businessman name Mohit Jaiswal while he was lodged in jail. The gangster has been named in more than 100 criminal cases, including the recent Umesh Pal murder case.