Samajwadi Party MLA Pooja Pal on Thursday thanked Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for ensuring justice in her husband Raju Pal’s murder case. She credited the CM’s zero-tolerance policy for eliminating criminals like gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed.
Speaking during a 24-hour marathon discussion on ‘Vision Document 2047’ in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, Ms Pooja expressed gratitude to CM Yogi.
“Everyone knows who murdered my husband (Raju). I want to thank the Chief Minister for bringing me justice and hearing me when nobody else did,” she said.
#WATCH | Lucknow, UP | Addressing during the 24-hour marathon discussion on ‘Vision Document 2047’ in the UP Assembly, Samajwadi Party MLA Pooja Pal says, “… Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath gave justice to many women like me by bringing in policies such as zero tolerance that… pic.twitter.com/fN0Agp2nka
— ANI (@ANI) August 14, 2025
She added, “The Chief Minister gave justice to many other women like me in Prayagraj by bringing in policies like zero tolerance that led to the killing of criminals like Atiq Ahmed. Today, the entire state looks at him with trust.”
Ms Pooja, who lost her husband to political violence, recalled her fight for justice. “Mere pati ke hatyare Atiq Ahmed ko mukhya mantri ne mitti mein milaane ka kaam kiya,” she told the House.
Raju Pal’s Murder in 2005
Former Bahujan Samaj Party MLA Raju Pal was shot dead on January 25, 2005, just days after marrying Pooja Pal. The murder, police said, stemmed from political rivalry. Raju had defeated Atiq Ahmed’s brother Ashraf in the 2004 bypoll to the Prayagraj West seat.
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Raju had earlier lost the seat to Atiq in 2002. After Atiq vacated it upon winning a Lok Sabha seat, Raju won against Ashraf.
Chain of Killings Linked to the Case
In February 2023, Umesh Pal, a key witness in the murder case, was shot dead in Prayagraj’s Sulem Saray area. Days later, Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf, both in custody, were shot dead by three men posing as media persons. The shooting happened when they were being taken for a medical check-up.
Atiq was shot in the head from behind at near point-blank range, while Ashraf was killed alongside him. The murders were captured on camera.
This came just days after Atiq’s son Asad was killed in an alleged encounter in Jhansi. Police later arrested the three assailants in the double murder case.
CBI Probe and Convictions
The Central Bureau of Investigation took over Raju Pal’s murder case in 2016. In 2024, a CBI court convicted seven people — Ranjeet Pal, Abid, Farhan Ahmad, Israr Ahmad, Javed, Gulhasan, and Abdul Kavi — of criminal conspiracy and murder. Farhan was also convicted under the Indian Arms Act.
A judicial commission, set up to probe Atiq and Ashraf’s murders, ruled out any “pre-planned conspiracy” or “police negligence.” The Uttar Pradesh government informed the Supreme Court that it was “leaving no stone unturned to ensure a fair and impartial investigation” into the killings.
Ms Pooja said she raised her voice when no one wanted to fight against criminals like Atiq Ahmed. “When I started feeling exhausted with this fight, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath gave me justice,” she said.
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