In a significant development, the CBI Special Court in Lucknow has pronounced all seven accused guilty in the murder case of BSP MLA Raju Pal. Among the accused were Atiq Ahmad and Ashraf, both of whom were named in the case and have since died in police custody.
The remaining accused, now convicted, include Abid, Farhan, Javed, Abdul Kavee, Gul Hasan, Israr, and Ranjit Pal.
The daylight assassination of Raju Pal, which took place in the Dhumanganj area of Prayagraj on January 25, 2005, had shocked the state. Raju Pal, the then BSP legislator, was gunned down in broad daylight, a crime that was widely regarded as a politically motivated act.
This heinous act was attributed to a political rivalry stemming from Raju Pal’s victory over Ashraf, the brother of mafia don Atiq Ahmad, in the assembly elections.
The court’s decision to convict all seven accused marks the culmination of a case that has lingered for nearly two decades.
The court is expected to announce the sentences shortly, bringing a long-awaited conclusion to this tragic saga that has highlighted the dangerous interplay of crime and politics in the region.
