Lucknow Businessman kidnapped, forced to sign property papers in jail

Mangalore Today News Network

Uttar Pradesh, Dec 31, 2018 : The Uttar Pradesh government has admitted to a serious lapse in a jail in eastern Uttar Pradesh’s Deoria after a complaint by a Lucknow-based businessman. Mohit Jaiswal, a real estate dealer, alleged that he was kidnapped from the city last week by the suppporters of former Samajwadi Party lawmaker Atiq Ahmed and taken to a jail complex in Deoria, 316 km away, reported NDTV.

 

Mohit Jaiswal told the police that he was kidnapped from outside his home in Lucknow on December 26, driven in his own SUV to the Deoria jail. He said he was taken inside the jail complex and made to meet Atiq Ahmed. The First Information Report alleges Mr Jaiswal was assaulted by Atiq Khan and forced to sign papers to handover property worth Rs. 40 crore before he was let off.

The businessman alleged that he was assaulted by Atiq Ahmed, his son and others inside the jail complex.

All of this, according to the complainant, happened inside the jail complex and in full knowledge of the prison staff.

The Deoria jail administration has admitted that a person by the name of Mohit Jaiswal did meet with Atiq Ahmed inside the jail at around 11 am on December 26, but claims that the jail staff had no idea that he was kidnapped or under any kind of coercion.

"All that I have to say is that Mohit Jaiswal had come to meet Atiq Ahmed on December 26. The meeting took place as per the jail rules. I have no information on whether he was kidnapped and forced to come here or assaulted. He didn’t tell anyone about it while leaving," said DK Pandey, a police officer at the Deoria jail.

Mr Ahmed is named in over 70 cases ranging from murder to kidnapping and extortion. He was shifted from the Allahabad jail to Deoria last year. One of the cases is the murder of Raju Pal, a Bahujan Samaj Party legislator, in 2005.

The Uttar Pradesh government asked the top prison officer of Deoria jail to submit a report by today to identify those responsible for the lapse.