A Special CBI court in Lucknow convicted seven individuals in the murder case of former BSP MLA Raju Pal. The case also involved the late gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad as one of the accused.
All seven individuals accused in the murder case of former BSP MLA Raju Pal found guilty by a special CBI court in Lucknow on Friday. The case also involved the late gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad as one of the accused.
However, proceedings against Atiq Ahmad, his brother Khalid Azim alias Ashraf, and Gulbul alias Rafiq stopped because they passed away.
The Special Judge of the CBI Court in Lucknow convicted Ranjeet Pal, Abid, Farhan Ahmad, Israr Ahmad, Javed, Gulhasan, and Abdul Kavi on charges including criminal conspiracy and murder.
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Accused Farhan Ahmad also found guilty under the Indian Arms Act.
Raju Pal, a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader from Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh, shot dead on January 25, 2005, due to political rivalry with Ashraf, the brother of Atiq Ahmad, whom he defeated in the 2004 bypoll for the Prayagraj West seat.
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The BSP leader initially lost the election to Atiq Ahmad in 2002, but won the bypoll against Ashraf after Ahmad vacated the seat upon being elected to the Lok Sabha.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the case in 2016.
On April 15 last year, Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf shot and killed on camera while under police custody near a medical college in Prayagraj.
The shooting incident recorded on camera as media personnel followed the both brought by the police to the hospital for a medical examination.