UP government takes over Atiq Ahmed's 'criminal money-purchased' Rs 50 crore property in Prayagraj

Agrahari explained that the Police Commissioner's Court invoked Section 14(1) of the Gangsters Act to seize the property and granted a three-month period for response, during which no evidence of legitimate ownership was presented.

The Uttar Pradesh government has taken over the property valued at approximately Rs 50 crore in Prayagraj, which belonged to the slain gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and was allegedly acquired through illicit means. District Government Advocate (Criminal) Gulab Chandra Agrahari revealed that Atiq Ahmed had procured 2.377 hectares of land using funds from criminal activities, registering it under the name of a mason named Hoobalal.

Atiq had purportedly planned to transfer the land into his own name if necessary. The police confiscated this land in November 2023.

Agrahari explained that the Police Commissioner's Court invoked Section 14(1) of the Gangsters Act to seize the property and granted a three-month period for response, during which no evidence of legitimate ownership was presented.

Subsequently, the Gangster Court in Prayagraj, under Judge Vinod Kumar Chaurasia, endorsed the police commissioner's decision on Tuesday, deeming it just and equitable, thereby officially transferring the property to the state government.

DCP (city) Deepak Bhuker, speaking to Times of India, highlighted the significance of the court's ruling and said, "For the first time, the gangster court (Prayagraj) has ordered to vest the benami property of slain gangster Atiq Ahmed at Kathula Gauspur village to the state govt on July 15. The Prayagraj police had attached Atiq’s benami property worth crores of rupees at Kathula Gauspur village in Sadar tehsil under the Gangsters Act on November 6, 2023."

Police investigations into Atiq Ahmed, under the Gangsters Act, revealed that he had registered the property in Hooblal's name in the Airport police station area. Upon interrogation, Hooblal disclaimed any association with the land, asserting that Atiq had coerced him into registering it in 2015.

Atiq Ahmed, along with his brother Ashraf, who had amassed a record of over 100 criminal cases, including the infamous Umesh Pal murder case, was fatally shot on April 15 last year.