Atiq Ahmad's men had grabbed Umesh Pal's land in Allahabad, demanded Rs 1 crore for vacating it

PRAYAGRAJ: Umesh Pal, the slain lawyer who was also a witness in the case related to the murder of BSP MLA Raju Pal in 2005 in which jailed gangster Atiq was named as accused, was also at daggers drawn with the gangster's associates over a plot of land that he owned in Dhoomanganj. Allegations are that Atiq's aides in 2022 had taken possession of a plot of land that Umesh owned and were demanding Rs 1 crore to allow the lawyer its possession. Umesh Pal had lodged an FIR in this connection against five persons allegedly associated with Atiq with the Dhoomanganj police station on August 24, 2022.
According to the Dhoomanganj SHO, Atiq has been charge-sheeted in the case and a non-bailable warrant (NBW) has been issued against five of its men.
"A case was registered against Atiq and his henchmen at Dhoomanganj police station and we have charge-sheeted Atiq Ahmad in the case wherein the complaint, Krishna Kumar Pal (Umesh Pal), had stated that an extortion of Rs 1 crore was demanded by Atiq's men at his behest," said Dhoomanganj SHO Rajesh Kumar Maurya. All the other accused named in the FIR are absconding and an NBW has been issued against them, he added.
According to the FIR, Pal had complained that he had purchased an over 3300 square yard plot of land at Pepalgaon area of Dhoomanganj in 2018 and whenever he tried to construct the boundary wall around the land, he was threatened by Atiq's henchman as they had taken control of the plot. When Pal asked them to vacate the land, they had threatened him and asked him to pay up Rs 1 crore for vacating the land.
Umesh Pal lodged an FIR with the Dhoomanganj police, naming Khalid Zafar, Mohammad Muslim, Dilip Kushwaha, Abusad and six others. Atiq's name was later added to the charge sheet.
According to sources, Atiq was quite livid at Pal when informed about the FIR by his henchmen.
Police are also looking at this angle as one of the triggers for hatching a conspiracy to kill Pal who was shot dead on February 24, allegedly by shooters of Atiq's gang.