Property worth Rs 50 crore belonging to Atiq Ahmed transferred to Uttar Pradesh government
PTC News Desk: Property in Prayagraj, purportedly acquired with proceeds from illicit operations, and belonging to deceased gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed, was seized by the Uttar Pradesh government for around Rs 50 crore.
According to District Government Advocate (Criminal), Gulab Chandra Agrahari, Atiq registered 2.377 hectares of land under the name Hoobalal, a mason, after obtaining the money through criminal activity. Furthermore, according to PTI, Atiq promised to change the land's ownership to his own name if needed. This land was taken by the police in November 2023.
According to Agrahari, the Property was confiscated by the Police Commissioner Court under Section 14(1) of the Gangsters Act, and they were given a three-month period to reply. But no evidence of ownership was offered.
The matter was subsequently sent to the Gangster Court in Prayagraj by the Police Commissioner Court. The police commissioner's conduct was declared "fair and just" by Judge Vinod Kumar Chaurasia on Tuesday, and the property was formally turned over to the state.
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Following the court's decision, DCP (city) Deepak Bhuker told Times of India, "On July 15, the state government was directed to receive the benami property of deceased gangster Atiq Ahmed at Kathula Gauspur village by the Prayagraj gangster court for the first time. On November 6, 2023, the Prayagraj police used the Gangsters Act to seize Atiq's benami property, which was valued at crores of rupees, in the Kathula Gauspur hamlet in Sadar tehsil.
Police said they found Atiq owned the property in Hooblal's name in the Airport police station area while looking into a case against him under the Gangsters Act. Hooblal admitted under interrogation that Atiq had compelled him to register the land in his name in 2015 and that he had nothing to do with the property.
On April 15 of last year, Atiq and his brother Ashraf, who were connected to more than 100 criminal cases, including the murder case of Umesh Pal, were shot and killed.
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- With inputs from agencies
