This story is from July 4, 2020

Wanted in 33 cases & on the run since 3 yrs, former MLA nabbed

Wanted in 33 cases & on the run since 3 yrs, former MLA nabbed
Police arrest former MLA Khalid Azim in Prayagraj on Friday
Prayagraj: Former Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA Khalid Azim alias Ashraf who had over 30 criminal cases lodged against him and a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head was arrested in Shivala market in the city on Friday. Azim is the brother of jailed politician Atiq Ahmed’s brother and had been evading arrest since the past three years.
The arrest was made by a joint team of crime branch, and Shahganj, Dhoomangnaj and Khuldabad police.
Police seized an illegal pistol of 0.32 bore along with six live cartridges, a SUV, Rs 8,490 and two voter IDs, a PAN card and a driving licence from his possession.
ADG (Prayagraj zone) Prem Prakash said, “We were tipped off that Azim would be visiting his in-laws’ house in Hatwa village under the limits of Puramufti police station in Kaushambi district on Friday. We cordoned off the area, but later got to know that he had come to his in-laws’ house on Thursday night and had later moved to a relative’s house in Shivala Market, under the jurisdiction of Dhoomanganj police station, on Friday morning. He was in Shivala Market to finalise a land deal.”
The ADG said “Police arrested the former MLA while he was trying to escape from the back of his relative’s house. He had been evading arrest since the past three years,” Prakash added.
IG (Prayagraj range) KP Singh said that the former MLA was wanted in connection with four criminal cases by Dhoomanganj police.
“Currently, there are 33 criminal cases registered against the Azim with different police stations of the Prayagraj under charges like extortion, land grabbing, and possession of illegal weapons,” said Singh
The CBI had also issued a warrant against the former MLA in connection with the murder of Bahujan Samaj Party MLA Raju Pal, said the IG.

SSP(Prayagraj) Abhishek Dixit said, “We had launched a special operation to arrest Azim last month and had raided at his suspected hideouts in Khuldabad, Dhoomanganj, Kareli in Prayagraj, and Hatwa village in Kaushambi district. We are have also compiled information about other accomplices of ex-MLA .
The SSP said that the ex-MLA had taken shelter at his in-laws’ house in Hatwa in Kaushambi and at a hideout in Delhi over the last few months.
The first case to be lodged against Azim was registered with Mutthiganj police under sections 147,148,149,364, 504 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code and section 7 CLA Act in 1992. More cases were registered against him in 1996, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2007 in different districts of UP.
Police started stepped up efforts to nab the ex-MLA soon after a case was registered against Azim at Dhoomanganj police station for not depositing a licensed firearm.
Prayagraj police too had moved a file to state authorities to increase the cash prize on head the absconding former MLA from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh.
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