Umesh Pal murder case: Allahabad HC cancels bail of accused Farhan

PRAYAGRAJ: The Allahabad High Court has cancelled the bail granted to Farhan, an accused of murdering BSP MLA Raju Pal and two security guards in broad daylight.

The bail was granted to Farhan by the Sessions Court on November 24, 2005.

The order has been given by Justice DK Singh, who accepted the bail cancellation application of deceased Krishna Kumar Pal alias Umesh Pal.

While cancelling Farhan's bail, the HC said that the accused not only violated his bail conditions but also continued to commit one crime after the other.

There are 26 criminal cases registered against Farhan, which include three cases of murder, three cases of kidnapping, two cases of murderous assaults and raping a minor.

Other than this, cases under Gangster Act, Gunda Act and SC/ST Act are also registered against him.

The court said that the Bahubali Mafia is also a member of the Atique Ahmed gang, and it seems that in the Dhumanganj area, it's not the police, but Atique Ahmed who is supreme.

"Leaving the petitioner free is putting the life and safety of witnesses and common citizens at risk. The court has cancelled the bail while cancelling the order to release the accused on bail," the court stated.

The Allahabad HC also denied bail to dreaded criminal Mohammad Ashraf alias Khalid Azim, the younger brother of Bahubali mafia don Atiq Ahmed, in the 2015 murder conspiracy case.

While rejecting the application, the court said that 51 serious criminal cases had been registered against the accused. He is also accused of the recent murder of Umesh Pal, the eyewitness of the Raju Pal murder.

While granting bail, the nature of the crime, the evidence and its impact on society should be considered, and the accused of serious crimes like murder, and kidnapping cannot be granted bail.

Earlier, the Allahabad HC also rejected the bail application of Atiq Ahmed's son Ali Ahmed in a 2021 extortion case.

The court observed that enlarging "such a criminal" on bail would be a threat "not only to the witnesses but also a constant threat to society".

The order was pronounced by Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh who observed that the accused is the son of one of the most dreaded criminals Atiq Ahmed and he himself has cases registered against him.

Ahmed was booked for an attempt to murder and in the case of demanding extortion.

Meanwhile, the Prayagraj district administration demolished the property of Atique Ahmed's aide, Safdar Ali on Thursday.

Earlier, on Wednesday, the property of an accused in the killing of the key witness in the murder of Raju Pal, a BSP MLA, was razed to the ground in Prayagraj.

Earlier, in a major development in the Umesh Pal murder case, an accused was shot in an exchange of fire near the Nehru Park area in Prayagraj's Dhoomanganj on Monday, a top police officer said.

The accused, identified as Arbaaz, was driving the car used in the murder of Umesh Pal, who was a prime witness in several cases, including the murder of BSP MLA Raju Pal.

The police said Arbaaz was injured and succumbed at the hospital.

"Accused Arbaaz was shot during the encounter that took place near Nehru Park in Dhoomanganj, Prayagraj earlier today.He was driving the car that was used in the murder (of Umesh Pal) and was fired upon," ADG law and order Prashant Kumar said on Monday.

"Arbaaz died during treatment at the hospital. The UP administration and the police have initiated a campaign against all such miscreants, gangsters, and mafia. There is also a crackdown on those sheltering such people," he added.

Umesh Pal and one of his two armed security escorts were shot dead in Prayagraj's Sulem Saray area on February 24. Several rounds were fired and bombs were hurled at Umesh and his gunners.