New Delhi, February 1
Expelled Samajwadi Party MP Atiq Ahmed, wanted for the murder of a Bahajun Samaj Party (BSP) legislator Raju Pal, has been arrested from the Ghalib Apartments in Pitampura area of northwest Delhi after being on the run for nearly eight months.

The absconding MP was arrested yesterday evening by the special cell of the Delhi police. He is involved in 46 criminal cases of attempt to murder, murder, extortion, kidnapping, rioting, Arms Act and the Gangsters Act of Uttar Pradesh. It was the second success within a week for the special cell after they had arrested long-sought eastern UP mafia don Brijesh Singh in Orissa on January 24.

Atiq, sought by the UP police in connection with the murder of BSP MLA Raju Pal in March, 2005, is the MP from Phulpur in Allahabad district. He had been expelled from the Samajwadi Party in January this year for his alleged involvement in the murder, and was carrying a reward of Rs 20,000 on his head. The UP police have secured a non-bailable warrant against him in connection with the case.

Atiq Ahmed had earlier alleged that there was a threat to his life from UP CM Mayawati and it was for this reason that he was not surrendering to the state police. Mayawati has been accusing Congress leaders of conspiring to eliminate her by “patronising” Ahmed whom she dubbed as a mafia don.

A number of cases including that of murder, attempt to murder and kidnapping are registered against Atiq, and the Allahabad district police was under immense pressure to catch the MP after Brijesh was arrested last week.

As many as three police teams had been camping in the capital since May, 2007, to track down Atiq. Earlier, Mayawati had transferred all senior officials from the rank of IG to that of the SP of Allahabad district over ‘mishandling’ of the Atiq case. The police has declared Atiq and Ashraf, younger brother of Atiq who too was wanted in the murder case of the MLA, as absconders and nine cases have been registered against them.