CBI raids 6 locations of former SP MP Atiq Ahmed

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) began search operations on Wednesday at six premises of former Samajwadi Party MP, Atiq Ahmed and others in Lucknow and Prayagraj cities of Uttar Pradesh.

The raids are part of the ongoing investigation in a case related to alleged incident of abduction and assault of a businessman.

The raids which began early in the morning is being conducted under tight security.

Personnel from police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) were present outside the residence of Ahmed in Prayagraj.

Ahmed's lawyer Shaulat Hanif told ANI, "CBI teams from Lucknow and Delhi are raiding the residence. They have sealed the house and no one is being allowed to get inside. The raid started around 7:30 am."

"CBI has raided Ahmed's residence, his in-laws house and his office in connection with Deoria case. They have confiscated some papers and other materials, details of which we haven't received so far", Hanif added.

Last month, the CBI had registered a case against the former MP and 17 others on the charge of kidnapping and assaulting real estate dealer Mohit Jaiswal in December 2018.

Jaiswal was abducted from Lucknow and taken to the Deoria Jail in UP where Ahmed was lodged and allegedly assaulted by the SP leader and his aides. Jaiswal was allegedly forced to transfer his business to them.

On June 2, Ahmed was transferred to the Ahmadabad prison from the Naini jail. A Supreme Court bench, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, had ordered Ahmed's transfer.

Earlier, a special court had rejected Ahmed's plea seeking parole for contesting the Lok Sabha polls against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi. In 2014, he had contested from Phulpur parliamentary constituency on a Samajwadi Party.