A man, identified as Varun, on Tuesday waited outside the MP/MLA court in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj for hours holding a garland made of footwear, to ‘welcome’ the notorious gangster turned politician Atiq Ahmed.

Ahmed was produced before the court for his hearing in Umesh Pal’s abduction case. The man, a lawyer, said that the footwear the garland is made of was once owned by the family of Umesh Pal.

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Umesh Pal was an advocate and a prime witness in the 2005 murder case of BSP MLA Raju Pal, and he was shot dead in Prayagraj on February 24 this year.

“The entire Pal community and lawyer fraternity would be happy if I make Atiq Ahmed wear this garland of footwear,” Varun told the media persons outside the MP/MLA court.

“He (Atiq) killed a member of the lawyer community, and we all will be happy if he comes to hear the court’s verdict by wearing this garland of footwear. These are the footwear of family members of Umesh Pal and Raju Pal,” he added.

Earlier in the day Prayagraj court sentenced Atiq Ahmed to rigorous life imprisonment in the Umesh Pal abduction case.

The Court pronounced life sentences to Atiq Ahmed, Dinesh Pasi and Khan Saulat Hanif in the case and has also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on each of the three.

All the other seven accused in the case, including Ashraf, the brother of Atiq Ahmed have been acquitted.

“He (Atiq Ahmed) was sentenced to life imprisonment for kidnapping my son but he should be given the death sentence for killing my son. I have faith in UP CM Yogi Adityanath and the judicial system,” Shanti Devi, mother of Umesh Pal said after the court’s verdict.

Jaya Devi, the widow of Umesh Pal said, “We are satisfied with the judgement as of now. Atiq Ahmed should be given a death sentence for killing my husband. We want justice and I request UP CM Yogi Adityanath to help us. If he and his brother will survive, it will be a problem for us and the society.”

Atiq Ahmed, a former MP and MLA with over 100 cases registered against him, was brought by Uttar Pradesh police from Ahmedabad’s Sabarmati Jail to Prayagraj’s Naini jail on Monday after an over 24-hour long drive from Gujarat.
Ahmed is also the main accused in the Umesh Pal murder case.