2005 Raju Pal Murder Case: Former MP Booked After Key Witness Shot Dead In UP — Know All About This Case

On January 25, 2005, BSP MLA Raju Pal who had defeated Atiq Ahmad's younger brother from Allahabad West constituency was shot dead by assailants in the city.

The Uttar Pradesh Police on Saturday booked seven people including former MP Atiq Ahmed in connection with the murder case of Umesh Pal, a key witness in the 2005 BSP MLA Raju Pal’s killing in Prayagraj, reported news agency PTI. Umesh Pal, the prime witness in the murder of Bahujan Samaj Party MLA Raju Pal, was shot dead by assailants outside his residence under Dhoomanganj Police Station in Sulem Sarai area of Prayagraj on Friday. 

According to police, Umesh Pal, along with two of his security personnel was attacked by the unknown assailants. Pal, along with one of the security personnel died while another one is critically injured.

As per reports, Pal, along with his gunner was returning after giving his final statement in the Raju Pal murder case when four assailants opened fire on him outside his residence. CCTV footage of the incident shows Pal coming out of his car when miscreants fired shots at him and his gunner. 

Both his security personnel tried to cover him and took him inside. Following this, the assailants barged into his house and fired several rounds of bullets and hurled crude bombs.

Politics has also started to brew over the incident. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav tweeted a video of the incident and said, "In the Allahabad-bombing case, the BJP government should not make an excuse that shooting is being promoted in UP." 

Speaking in the UP Legislative Assembly, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath alleged SP of "nurturing mafias in the state" and warned of taking action against accused in the murder case.  

What Is The 2005 Raju Pal Murder Case 

In the year 2004, after Atiq Ahmed won polls to Lok Sabha from Phulpur constituency, his younger brother Khalid Azim, alias Ashraf contested from Allahabad West Assembly seat— necessitated after Atiq became an MP — from Samajwadi Party’s ticket but lost to Umesh Pal, who was fielded by the BSP. 

The electoral tussle turned into political rivalry and on January 25, 2005, a day before Republic Day, when the BSP MLA was leaving for his home from Swarooprani Nehru hospital, a car overtook his Qualis car — which was being driven by Raju— in the Sulem Sarai area of the city and was shot dead by the assailants who heavily opened fire on his car.

Two other people along with Raju Pal were also killed in the incident and the postmortem report had stated that around 18 bullets were removed from Raju Pal’s body.  

A CBI probe into the incident had named 10 persons as accused including Atiq Ahmad and his younger brother. Atiq is currently lodged in Ahmedabad jail while his brother Ashraf is in Bareilly jail in connection with the case. 

Raju Pal’s wife, Puja Pal, whom he married just 11 days before his murder then contested from the Allahabad West seat but lost to Ashraf. She was again given a ticket by BSP in 2007 Assembly elections and won and subsequently won again in 2012. In the 2017 Assembly polls, Puja lost to BJP’s Siddharth Nath Singh but won 2022 polls from Kaushambi’s Chail seat. 

Umesh Pal Was Once Abducted In 2007 

According to reports, Puja Pal's brother, Umesh Pal was abducted in 2007 over Raju Pal's murder and was told not to testify in the case. Umesh had filed an FIR in the matter at Dhumanganj Police Station and Atiq and Ashraf were named as accused in that case as well. The hearing of this case is going on in the MP-MLA Special Court of Prayagraj. The Allahabad High Court has ordered the MP-MLA Special Court to complete the trial of this case in two months.