After the killings of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Khalid Ahmed alias Ashraf, the tales of how he used to allegedly extort money within the identify of election funds are coming to the fore. This was aside from his varied different felony actions akin to murders, assaults and land grabbing.
If merchants and well-off businessmen, particularly of outdated metropolis areas of Prayagraj, are to be believed, Atiq Ahmed would concern yellow and white slips for ‘compelled donations’ within the identify of contributions to his poll bills.
Through the marketing campaign for parliamentary polls of 2004, which he contested from Phulpur parliamentary seat right here and emerged victorious, Atiq had allegedly collected crores within the identify of election funds.
The slips of the money deposited within the checking account at the moment are being extensively shared on social media publish April 15 night time, when he together with Ashraf was gunned down by three armed assailants whereas being taken for his or her day by day medical examination.
For the polls, the preparations had began in earnest by Atiq and his aides months prematurely. Crores of rupees had been spent in his election marketing campaign as there was no scarcity of funds. A present of his wealth within the form of luxurious SUVs pressed for the campaigning to massive banners and hoardings had been put up in all places in Phulpur space.
Surrounded by gun-toting aides of their dozens, Atiq had visited the villages nearly day by day and left the agricultural voters of the realm in awe, claimed a businessman residing in Phulpur space of Prayagraj who witnessed all of it first-hand.
The Mafioso invented a brand new methodology of extorting money. If the individuals pressured by Atiq and his aides to shell out money to assist him are to be believed, he had despatched slips to well-known builders, merchants, docs, property sellers and different influential individuals of the district.
These slips had been of two sorts: A white slip by means of which ₹5 lakh to 50 lakh was to be deposited. These slips had been meant for individuals who had been operating their very own hospitals, factories and large showrooms and so on.
An aggrieved businessman of the outdated metropolis space stated that Atiq had despatched yellow slips to him and a few of his enterprise colleagues for restoration. As quickly because the slip reached, individuals had to deposit ₹3 lakh to ₹5 lakh within the specified checking account. Nobody had the braveness to disobey Atiq’s orders, he claimed saying he ‘donated’ ₹5 lakh within the given checking account on the time.
One such slip is being shared on social media on Monday with Financial institution of Maharashtra’s account quantity 60164021028 written on it. Although HT has not independently verified the authenticity of the slip, it was being shared as proof that on this checking account Atiq Ahmad used to get the money deposited from merchants and businessmen to fund his polls. After depositing the money, individuals had to ship the slip to Atiq personally, stated a police official confirming the allegations.
This checking account was frozen by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in 2022. Aside from this, greater than ₹1 crore was additionally deposited in 11 financial institution accounts seized by the ED as a part of its crackdown on Atiq Ahmed as a part of motion initiated in opposition to him after registering a money laundering case in opposition to the Mafioso in 2021, stated an ED official on the situation of anonymity.
