Raju Pal

Raju Pal
Member of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly
In office
2004–2005
Preceded byAtiq Ahmed
Succeeded byKhalid Azim
ConstituencyPrayagraj West
Personal details
Died25 January 2005
Political partyBahujan Samaj Party
SpousePuja Pal
OccupationPolitician

Raju Pal (died January 2005) was a Bahujan Samaj Party politician. In 2004, gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed resigned from Prayagraj West Assembly constituency after being elected to the Lok Sabha.[1] Raju Pal won the subsequent by-election in November 2004, defeating Atiq's younger brother Mohammad Ashraf.

In January 2005, Raju Pal was shot dead while going to his village on the occasion of Republic day by Atiq Ahmed's goons for defeating his brother Ashraf.[2] Thereafter, Ashraf won the seat by defeating Pal's wife Pooja Pal.[3] Ashraf was the prime accused in the murder. Mohammad Ashraf's brother Atiq had also been charged with complicity in the murder.[4] While Atiq was in jail with 21 criminal cases pending against him, the then Mayawati government faced criticism for its failure to arrest Ashraf.[5]

  1. ^ "Let CBI probe Raju Pal murder: new government". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 16 May 2007. Archived from the original on 16 November 2007.
  2. ^ "Atiq Ahmed shot dead: Who was Raju Pal, MLA whose murder made Atiq Ahmed most wanted criminal?". DNA India. Archived from the original on 19 April 2023. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
  3. ^ "Uttar Pradesh Assembly Polls : Gangsters join race for UP Assembly". Sify. April 2007. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 12 May 2007.
  4. ^ Arun Chaubey (May 2007). "All with 'shades' least are 'white'". Zee News. Archived from the original on 14 May 2007. Retrieved 13 May 2007.
  5. ^ Singh, Vijay Pratap (16 July 2009). "Raju Pal murder: STF to help arrest Ashraf". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 21 January 2017. Retrieved 11 March 2019.