CBI Court Convicts 7 in BSP MLA Raju Pal Murder Case

New Delhi: After a 19-year-long trial, the CBI court has convicted all seven accused in the murder case of BSP MLA Raju Pal in Prayagraj. The heinous crime occurred on January 25, 2005. Six of them have been sentenced to life imprisonment, while one individual, Farhan, has received a four-year prison term for illegal weapon possession.

Special Judge Kavita Mishra delivered the verdict, imposing fines along with the sentences. Israr Ahmed, Ranjit Pal, Javed, Abid, Gulshan, and Abdul Kavi were found guilty of murder and handed life sentences with substantial fines. Notably, two accused, Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf, were murdered a year before the trial concluded. Gulphool alias Rafiq Ahmad, another accused, passed away during the trial proceedings.

The brutal murder of BSP MLA Raju Pal, alongside Devilal Pal and Sandeep Yadav, shook Prayagraj on that fateful day. The CBI took over the investigation in 2016 following a Supreme Court order. The case stems from the rivalry between Raju Pal and Atiq Ahmad, escalating after Raju Pal’s victory in the 2004 assembly by-election from Prayagraj West seat, which didn’t sit well with Atiq and Ashraf.