NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to consider on March 17 a plea by Uttar Pradesh's dreaded mafia don-turned-former MP Atiq Ahmad against shifting him to Prayagraj or any other jail in Uttar Pradesh from Sabarmati jail in a case related to killing of a witness and two policemen in open shooting incident, fearing that he might be "eliminated" in encounter by the police.
A bench led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud fixed the date upon an urgent hearing plea made by his counsel K S Hanif.
In a writ petition, Ahmad contended that he was five-time consecutive time MLA and one time elected MP.
He claimed conspiracy behind murder of Umesh Pal and two of his gunners at Prayagraj.
"After the murder of Umesh Pal, opposition put fuel in the fire in house which provoked the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to say he would finish mafia (me) "mafia ko mitti me mila doonga" because petitioner was the main subject in argument in house," it said.
"This statement of the CM of UP strengthened devious plan of some police officer who are playing in hands of political rivals of petitioner. They are planning to eliminate the petitioner and his brother in transit between jail to court. In past three years some incidents like this happened in Uttar Pradesh by UP Police," the plea contended.
Ahmad and his brother, along with several others were named as the accused in murder case of Raju Pal, then BSP MLA from Allahabad (West) constituency. On February 25, one of the witnesses Umesh Pal was killed in Prayagraj in which wife of Ahmad, all four sons and brother have been roped in as accused as "mere suspicion".
The writ petition sought directions to protect the life and also to ensure that no physical or bodily injury or harm is done to him "in any manner whatsoever during police custody/ remand/ interrogation," and also issue orders from taking the petitioner from central jail Ahemdabad to Prayagraj or any part of the state of UP.
"Petitioner genuinely apprehends and believes that the petitioner may be killed in fake encounters on one pretext or the other by UP police. It is submitted that it is a deep political conspiracy against petitioner and his family members petitioner," it claimed.
