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A team of Uttar Pradesh Police that took custody of incarcerated gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed from Ahmedabad's Sabarmati jail on Sunday reached Rajasthan's Kota hanging bridge late night today.
Atiq Ahmed is to be produced in a special court next Tuesday to face its verdict in the 2007 Umesh Pal kidnapping and criminal conspiracy case. Atiq on Sunday expressed fear that he might be murdered while being taken to Prayagraj from Ahmedabad's Sabarmati Central jail by Uttar Pradesh police. Stepping out of Sabarmati jail here Ahmed told reporters waiting outside that a conspiracy is being hatched to kill him on the pretext of following court orders. "Court Ke Kandhe Par Rakhkar Hume Maarna Chah Rahe Hai (They are using the court's orders as a pretext to get him killed)," Atiq Ahmed said as he was being escorted inside a police van. A 45-member team of Uttar Pradesh police. Ahmed, who was lodged in Sabarmati jail since 2019, is being brought back to Prayagraj in connection with an old kidnapping case of Umesh Pal in which he is the main accused. As per an Uttar Pradesh Court's order, the verdict in the kidnapping case will be pronounced on March 28. All accused in the case, including Atiq Ahmed, will be produced in court. Prayagraj Police Commissioner Ramit Sharma said that Atiq is being shifted to Prayagraj as he will be produced before a court on March 28 in connection with a kidnapping case, the verdict of which is slated to be pronounced on the same day. As per the UP police's detailed plan for the trip, they have chosen a road route that passes through Madhya Pradesh's Shivpuri and Uttar Pradesh's Jhansi to bring back the gangster. The journey will take more than 30 hours. "Court has fixed March 28 as the date for the pronouncing the verdict in an old kidnapping case...All the accused have to be produced before the Court in this matter. To produce Mafia Atiq Ahmed before Court, an accused in this case, a Police team has been sent to Sabarmati jail," the Commissioner said. DG (prisons) Anand Kumar said that preparations have been made for Atiq in the Prayagraj jail. The jailed politician will be kept in a high-security barrack with a round-the-clock CCTV camera for surveillance. "Atiq Ahmed will be kept in isolation in a high-security barrack at the jail. His cell will have a CCTV camera. Jail staff will be chosen and deployed on the basis of their records, they will have body-worn cameras," Kumar said. "Prayagraj Jail office and Jail HQ will monitor round the clock through a video wall. DIG Jail HQ is being sent to ensure all the arrangements at Prayagraj Jail," he added. (ANI)
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