'CM Buried My Husband’s Killer’: SP MLA Pooja Pal Praises Yogi Adityanath For Crackdown On Crime In UP

Samajwadi Party MLA Pooja Pal, whose husband Raju Pal was shot dead by gangster Atiq Ahmed in 2005, on Thursday (14 August) expressed gratitude to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for ensuring justice in her husband’s murder case, NDTV reported.

She lauded his zero-tolerance policy towards crime, crediting it for action against gangster Atiq Ahmed.

Speaking in the Uttar Pradesh assembly during a 24-hour debate on the ‘Vision Document 2047’, Pooja remarked, "Everyone knows who murdered my husband (Raju Pal). I want to thank the Chief Minister for bringing me justice and hearing me when nobody else did."

Pal further noted that Yogi Adityanath’s crime-control policies had extended justice to numerous women in Prayagraj.

She said the measures, marked by zero tolerance, resulted in the elimination of criminals like Atiq Ahmed and strengthened public confidence in the state leadership.

Raju Pal, a former BSP legislator, was gunned down on 25 January 2005, shortly after his marriage to Pooja Pal.

According to police, the killing stemmed from political rivalry with Ashraf, brother of gangster Atiq Ahmed, whom Raju had defeated in the 2004 by-election for the Prayagraj West constituency.

In February 2023, Umesh Pal, a prime witness in the case, was also shot dead in Prayagraj’s Sulem Saray locality.

Within days of Umesh Pal’s murder, both Atiq Ahmed and Ashraf were killed in a public shooting while under police custody en route to a medical examination in Prayagraj.

Atiq was struck in the head at close range, followed by Ashraf, in an incident recorded on video.

The killings occurred shortly after Atiq’s son, Asad, was shot dead in an alleged encounter in Jhansi.

"Mere pati ke hatyare Atiq Ahmed ko mukhya mantri ne mitti mein milaane ka kaam kiya (The Chief Minister buried my husband's murderer Atiq Ahmed," Pooja told the House.

"I raised my voice when I saw that no one wanted to fight against criminals like Atiq Ahmed. When I started feeling exhausted with this fight, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath gave me justice," she added.

In 2002, Raju Pal lost the Prayagraj West assembly seat to Atiq Ahmed. However, after Atiq’s election to the Lok Sabha created a vacancy, Raju won the subsequent by-election, defeating Ashraf.

The Central Bureau of Investigation took over the murder investigation in 2016.

In 2024, a CBI court found seven individuals — Ranjeet Pal, Abid, Farhan Ahmad, Israr Ahmad, Javed, Gulhasan, and Abdul Kavi — guilty of criminal conspiracy and murder, among other charges. Farhan Ahmad was additionally convicted under the Indian Arms Act.

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