Prayagraj: CBI raids Atiq Ahmed's residence amid tight security

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday began a search at the residence of jailed Uttar Pradesh leader and former Samajwadi Party MP Atiq Ahmed here.

The raid which started early in the morning is being conducted under tight security. Personnel from police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) are present outside the residence of Ahmed.

Ahmed's lawyer Shaulat Hf told , "CBI teams from Lucknow and Delhi are raiding the residence. They have sealed the house and no one is being allowed to get inside. I cannot say why the raid is being conducted as I am not being allowed inside the house. The raid started around 7:30 am."

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 kidnapped from Lucknow and taken to the Naini Central Jail in Prayagraj 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 ticket.

( With inputs from ANI )