From Naini to Jhansi Jail: Atiq Ahmad’s Son Ali Ahmed Transferred Amid Security Concerns
PRAYAGRAJ: Ali Ahmed, son of slain mafia don Atiq Ahmad, was shifted from Naini Central Jail in Prayagraj to Jhansi District Jail on Wednesday morning under heavy security.
For the past 38 months, Ali had been lodged in Naini jail in connection with an extortion case involving a demand of ₹5 crore from a local property dealer. His name had also surfaced in the sensational Umesh Pal murder case.
The transfer was ordered by the state government after months of speculation, triggered by an earlier incident in June when cash worth ₹1,100 was found in Ali’s possession during a surprise inspection by DIG Rajesh Kumar Srivastava. That discovery had led to the suspension of a deputy jailer and a head warden.
At 8 a.m., under strict surveillance, Ali was escorted in a prison van from Naini to Jhansi—a journey of nearly 420 kilometers.
Legacy of a Mafia Empire
Ali is the son of Atiq Ahmad, the notorious gangster-politician whose influence stretched far beyond Prayagraj and Uttar Pradesh. Atiq’s empire, built on a foundation of extortion, land grabbing, and illegal contracts, extended into major Indian cities and even abroad.
His money trail reportedly reached into businesses in the Gulf countries and parts of Southeast Asia. For decades, Atiq operated as a parallel power structure, instilling fear while building a multi-crore illegal empire.
Atiq was shot dead in April 2023 along with his brother Ashraf while in police custody in Prayagraj, in a shocking execution-style killing that drew national and international attention. With his death, law enforcement agencies feared that his crime syndicate, known as the IS-227 gang, might regroup under his son Ali’s leadership.
Ali Ahmed’s Criminal Involvement
Ali had been declared the new leader of IS-227 by Prayagraj Police after Atiq’s death. Several members of the gang were subsequently booked under the Gangsters Act as the syndicate continued to issue threats, extort money, and forcibly capture land in Atiq’s name.
Ali himself surrendered before a Prayagraj court on July 30, 2022, after remaining on the run for months. He carried a bounty of ₹50,000 on his head during his fugitive period.
Following the Umesh Pal murder in February 2023, Ali was shifted to a high-security barrack inside Naini jail. His every move was monitored through four CCTV cameras and constant guard rotation in three shifts.
Ali’s Fear and Complaint During Transfer
Sources revealed that Ali sensed his transfer a night earlier and spent a restless night in prison, refusing food and showing visible anxiety. When he was finally brought to Jhansi District Jail, reporters observed clear fear on his face.
Speaking briefly to the media upon arrival, Ali voiced his grievances: I was not even given water during the 420-kilometer journey from Naini to Jhansi.
Whatever has happened has happened… but now I plead with the Chief Minister—please don’t torment me further. I am being falsely harassed.”
He further claimed he had been studying law in Delhi when he was picked up and imprisoned. In Jhansi, he said he felt unsafe and alleged ill-treatment inside prison.
On the issue of ₹1,100 found in his barrack earlier, Ali insisted that it was money in the form of coupons, permissible under jail manuals, but was being portrayed differently to malign him.
SIT Report and Security Concerns
Officials suggest that Ali’s transfer was influenced by a confidential SIT (Special Investigation Team) report submitted earlier this year.
After Atiq’s death, the state government had formed a seven-department SIT—including police, district administration, development authorities, and municipal officers—to assess the remnants of Atiq’s empire.
The report allegedly highlighted Ali’s role in sustaining and reorganizing the gang’s activities from within prison.
Moreover, authorities noticed that the number of people meeting Ali inside Naini jail had increased in recent months, raising fears of renewed gang coordination. His relocation to Jhansi is seen as a measure to break these links.
Jhansi Jail authorities confirmed Ali’s admission under high security. Senior Superintendent of Jail Vinod Kumar stated that he was kept inside a secure cell after standard search and entry procedures.
A Family of Crime and Power
Ali’s transfer marks another chapter in the slow dismantling of Atiq Ahmad’s empire. Once an undisputed mafia don whose influence ran deep in both the underworld and politics,
Atiq left behind a tainted legacy now shadowing his children. With law enforcement determined to crush the remnants of his syndicate,
Ali’s future seems increasingly uncertain as he remains trapped between the burden of his father’s empire and his own alleged criminal involvement.
The transfer was ordered by the state government after months of speculation, triggered by an earlier incident in June when cash worth ₹1,100 was found in Ali’s possession during a surprise inspection by DIG Rajesh Kumar Srivastava.
That discovery had led to the suspension of a deputy jailer and a head warden.
At 8 a.m., under strict surveillance, Ali was escorted in a prison van from Naini to Jhansi—a journey of nearly 420 kilometers.
The Mafia Legacy: Atiq Ahmad’s Rise and Fall
Atiq Ahmad was not just a gangster but a parallel power structure in Uttar Pradesh for nearly four decades. His life trajectory reads like the script of a crime saga:
- Early 1980s – Rise in Allahabad (now Prayagraj):
Atiq began as a small-time henchman but soon built a fearsome reputation for land grabbing, extortion, and violent enforcement. By the mid-1980s, he was running a crime syndicate feared across eastern UP. - 1989 – Political Breakthrough:
Leveraging his muscle power, Atiq entered politics. He became the first gangster from Uttar Pradesh to win an MLA seat, representing Allahabad West as an Independent. - 1990s – Expansion of Empire:
With political patronage, Atiq expanded operations. His gang (IS-227) controlled contracts, real estate, transport, and smuggling networks. His empire reportedly extended to major Indian metros and had money parked in Gulf countries and Southeast Asia. - 2004 – Apex of Power:
Atiq won the Phulpur Lok Sabha seat (once held by Jawaharlal Nehru) as a Samajwadi Party MP. This marked his peak — when he was both a parliamentarian and a mafia don with over 100 criminal cases registered against him. - 2005 – Cracks Appear:
The daylight murder of BSP leader Raju Pal, allegedly orchestrated by Atiq, triggered a chain of vendettas. It also marked the beginning of his downfall as rival gangs, political shifts, and public outrage turned the heat on him. - 2008 – Arrest and Decline:
Under Mayawati’s rule, Atiq was arrested and shifted between different high-security jails across India. His political clout declined, but his gang operated through family members and lieutenants. - 2019 – Conviction:
Atiq was convicted in multiple cases of extortion and abduction. Yet, even behind bars, he remained feared. Reports suggested he managed operations through coded messages and family emissaries. - February 2023 – Umesh Pal Murder:
The assassination of key witness Umesh Pal in Prayagraj reignited fears of Atiq’s continuing influence. His sons, including Ali Ahmed and Asad, were named as accused. - April 15, 2023 – Assassination:
In a shocking event broadcast live on television, Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf were gunned down at point-blank range in police custody in Prayagraj. Their execution marked the symbolic end of an era but left behind a fractured empire.
Ali Ahmed: Inheriting the Empire and the Burden
After Atiq’s death, police declared Ali Ahmed the new head of IS-227. Though still in his twenties, Ali carried both the privilege and the curse of his father’s legacy.
- July 2022 – Surrender:
Ali surrendered before a Prayagraj court after being on the run. He carried a bounty of ₹50,000. - Post-2023 – High-Security Custody:
Following Umesh Pal’s murder, Ali was lodged in Naini jail’s high-security barrack. Four CCTV cameras tracked his every move, with guards rotating in three shifts. - 2024 – SIT Alarm:
A Special Investigation Team reported that gang activities were being coordinated in Atiq’s name through Ali. The number of visitors to him in jail also increased suspiciously, prompting fears of a regrouping. - 2025 – Transfer to Jhansi Jail:
Ali was transferred to Jhansi under heavy security. Upon arrival, he looked visibly anxious and complained to reporters: I wasn’t given even water during the 420-kilometer journey. Please don’t torment me further. I am being falsely harassed.”
A Family in Shadows
Ali’s elder brother, er Asad, was killed in a police encounter in 2023, while other family members face multiple criminal cases. The once-mighty empire of Atiq Ahmad lies in ruins, but its remnants continue to haunt Uttar Pradesh’s law and order.
Ali, caught between being heir to a blood-soaked dynasty and an accused himself, now fights both the legal system and the ghosts of his father’s empire.
His transfer to Jhansi is less about punishment and more about containment—a signal that the state is determined to prevent any mafia phoenix from rising from Atiq’s ashes.
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