In a big development, Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj police has arrested the counsel of slain gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed Advocate Vijay Mishra with the help of the Special Task Force (STF) from Lucknow. He was Ahmed's lawyer in the Umesh Pal murder case. According to ANI, the arrest has been made on the basis of the statement of Khan Saulat Hanif and mobile details, the UP police said. News agency IANS mentioned that Mishra has been arrested in an extortion case from outside Hotel Hyatt Legacy in Lucknow late on Saturday night.
The agency added that police have also made him an accused in the Umesh Pal murder case. Notably, a case had been registered against Vijay Mishra at the Atarsuiya police station for demanding extortion of Rs 3 crores, in which he is wanted.
Vijay Mishra is fighting the case of mafia Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf, besides many members of the family including Atiq's son Ali. About two months ago, an audio clip of advocate Vijay Mishra went viral in which Mishra was threatening a plywood businessman in the name of Atiq and Ashraf. The police had registered an FIR against him in the case.
In June this year, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated and handed over keys to 76 flats, built on land confiscated from slain gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed, to the poor in Prayagraj. CM Adityanath highlighted that housing units are being built on the land freed from the mafia in a state where criminals used to encroach upon the land of the poor, businessmen, and the government before 2017. He also inspected the flats ahead of the launch.
In October 2021, Prayagraj Development Authority (PDA) prepared a blueprint for the construction of houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) on this plot of land freed from Atiq Ahmed amid a crackdown against him and his gang.
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