Spread in a 1,000-rectangular backyard place, the luxurious workplace of Atiq Ahmed in Prayagraj, which changed into these days bulldozed via way of means of the Public Works Department (PWD), could regularly be utilized by the previous MP as a `torture cell` to silence his opponents, say place locals and torment survivors.
As according to allegations, Atiq could kidnap his opponents, convey them to the Chakia-primarily based totally workplace, and get his guys to thrash them. Lawyer Umesh Pal, the high witness to the BSP MLA Raju Pal homicide case, changed into additionally added to the workplace forcibly. His abduction befell in 2006. Subsequently, Umesh were given a kidnapping case filed towards Atiq. In his grievance, Umesh stated that he changed into subjected to torture for 2 consecutive days. Umesh in addition alleged that he changed into even given electric powered shocks. The tactic changed into used to make him extrade his announcement in Raju Pal`s homicide case on the court.
Besides Umesh, buyers and actual property businessmen have been additionally forcibly added to the workplace. Many of them have been requested to pay extortion cash to the mafioso-turned-politician. Police research has additionally discovered that folks that refused to put up to his needs have been taken hostage and tortured at one of the rooms withinside the workplace.
Interestingly, this `workplace-cum-torture cell` changed into razed via way of means of the district management in 2008 as well. The then-leader minister Mayawati were given the workplace demolished to crackdown on Atiq`s empire. However, it changed into constructed once more after the Samajwadi Party got here to energy withinside the kingdom in 2012. Locals say that the workplace used to stay abuzz together along with his henchmen and friends spherical the clock. During elections, it changed into used as a strugglefare room via way of means of Atiq, they added.
Later, while the BJP changed into voted to energy, the Yogi Adityanath-led authorities were given the outer part of his workplace demolished. Despite this, Atiq`s henchmen endured to perform from the internal rooms of the workplace that hadn`t suffered a good deal damage. Recently, on March 21, police have been left greatly surprised while ten unlawful firearms and coins worth ₹seventy three lakh have been recovered in one of the workplace rooms.
Police officers say that many individuals who have been tortured in no way made a police grievance out of fear. Apart from getting used as a area to subjugate people, the workplace changed into extensively utilized for meetings. Atiq could additionally entertain his unique visitors on the workplace. The former MP`s henchmen, who have been arrested on March 21, stated that livestock have been additionally stored in a single a part of the workplace for a few time.
