LUCKNOW: As the UP police announced a reward of Rs 25000 for information on Shaista Parveen, the wife of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad and one of the named accused in the Umesh Pal murder case, the lone BSP MLA Uma Shankar Singh came out in support of her on Monday.
Backing Shaista Parveen, the BSP lawmaker said the cash reward announced by the state police for providing her whereabouts was an attempt "to divert attention" from its failure in cracking the murder case of February 24, 2023.
Interacting with media persons, the BSP legislator said that even a fortnight after the incident, Prayagraj police had failed to crack the case.
“They announced a reward on Shaista to escape people’s scrutiny,” said the BSP MLA. Shaista Parveen joined BSP officially in January this year and she was tipped to be the party’s mayoral candidate in the upcoming civic polls.
The police have even announced a reward of Rs 2.5 lakh for the shooters named in the case but so far no one has been nabbed.
Defending Sahista, the BSP MLA claimed that she had no connection, even remotely, with Umesh Pal’s killing. “Even the police have not been able to prove it. She is a social person,” he asserted.
"Shaista Parveen is all set to become the mayor of Prayagraj and the BJP is going to lose the seat. This is the (reason) behind the BJP's fury," he said adding that BSP chief Mayawati had already announced that action would be taken against Shaista Parveen if the allegations against her were proven.
"We still stand by that. If the allegation is proven, Shaista Parveen will be expelled from the party," he said. The BSP never compromises on matters of crime, Singh added.
Questioning the move to name Parveen on the basis of her picture with one of the accused, Singh said a photograph of the main conspirator with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav had also surfaced recently.
"Will the police arrest Akhilesh Yadav? If action is being taken on the basis of the photograph, then why has Akhilesh Yadav not been arrested yet? He is roaming free," said the senior BSP leader.
An FIR was registered at Dhumanganj police station in Prayagraj on the basis of a complaint given by Umesh Pal's wife Jaya Pal after he and his two security personnel were shot dead in front of his residence on February 24.
Atiq, currently lodged in Sabarmati jail in Gujarat, has also been named in the FIR. He is the main accused in the then BSP legislator Raju Pal murder case of 2005. Atiq, his brother Ashraf and wife Shaista, two sons were among those 17 booked in connection with the killing of Umesh Pal, a key witness in the Raju Pal murder case.