(MENAFN) As the convoy carrying Atiq Ahmed, a gangster-turned-politician, approaches Uttar Pradesh from Gujarat, officials at a Prayagraj prison are busy completing preparations to lodge the high-profile inmate. A cell in special barracks, CCTV surveillance, and tight security measures are being put in place to keep an eye on Ahmed round the clock.
Ahmed is set to be produced before a Prayagraj court tomorrow for the ruling in a kidnapping case in which he is an accused. The former MP is facing over 100 criminal cases, and has alleged that Uttar Pradesh police plan to kill him in an encounter, claiming that the court appearance is a false pretext.
Speaking to reporters, the former Samajwadi Party leader expressed his fears, saying, "I know their programme... They want to murder me." The Uttar Pradesh police have denied these allegations.
Ahmed was moved to the Gujarat jail on the directions of the Supreme Court after he was accused of engineering the kidnapping of a real estate businessman while in jail. He has been lodged in the Sabarmati central jail since June 2019.
His name made headlines again in February after a key witness in BSP MLA Raju Pal's murder, in which Ahmed is an accused, was shot dead outside his Prayagraj home. The murder of Umesh Pal, shocking videos of which had gone viral, had led to a wave of criticism against the Yogi Adityanath government over the state's law and order situation. Ahmed has been named as the main accused in the killing of Pal and his two security personnel.
Ahmed's family members have said they are ready to accept any judgment in the kidnapping case, but are only worried about his safety. With the controversial politician's arrival in Uttar Pradesh imminent, authorities at the Prayagraj prison are taking all necessary measures to ensure his safety while in custody. The tight security measures, both inside and outside the prison, are aimed at preventing any untoward incidents and maintaining law and order in the region.
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