Intezar Ahmed Abidi

Intezar Ahmed Abidi is an Indian criminal politician with the Bahujan Samaj Party in Uttar Pradesh. Known also as Bobby, he has a long history of murder and other charges. A member of Mayawati's cabinet, Abidi currently heads the UP Kisan Ganna Sansthan, a state body that imparts training to sugarcane growers.[1]

Biography

In 2005, after a sensational double murder in Lucknow shook the confidence in the state law and order apparatus, the group of five sharpshooters and three others were arrested from Abidi's flat in Presidency Apartments, Wazirganj. Abidi was absconding and could not be found.[2]

In 2008, a doctor complained of receiving extortion threats from one Salim, using a phone number traced to Abidi.[3]

In 2009, Abidi, along with BSP politician Jitendra Singh were identified as leading a group of 150 criminals from the BSP party in attacking and setting fire to the house of UP State Congress chief Rita Bahuguna. Two years later, in March 2011, Abidi was arrested for arson on this case.[4]

In 2010-2011 two successive Chief Medical Officers of the state, Dr. Vinod Arya and Dr BP Singh were gunned down by motorcyclists, both while out for morning walks. The murder of two such senior government employees and the inability of the police to arrest anyone, led to widespread reports of political involvement in the murders.[5][6] The two murders, five months apart, were executed from the same gun.[7] The CMO position is involved in the disbursal of crores of rupees of medicine and other health expenses; It was alleged that their honesty was coming in the way of a political mafia who were skimming off large sums from the Health services.[8][9]

In April 2011, family welfare minister Babu Singh Kushwaha and Health Minister Ananth Kumar Mishra were asked to resign by Mayawati.[10] However, no criminal connection in the murder could be traced.

A third case of the murder of Social Welfare Ministry employee Saif Haider Naqvi (Saifi), again in daylight in Lucknow, involving a similar shooting by motorcycle-borne sharpshooters, was also linked to the case, and fingers were pointed at Abidi. In March 2011, Delhi police arrested three killers who had murdered and robbed a jeweller. During their interrogation, two of them, the brothers Salim and Rustam, said that Abidi has been their mentor for several years. They also admitted to killing Saifi under instructions from Abidi, presumably because of an affair Abidi had with Saifi's wife.[11]

However, as of June, Abidi has not yet been arrested in the case.

References

  1. ^ http://www.indiankanoon.org/doc/1676731/
  2. ^ "Double murder case worked out". Times of India. Nov 22, 2005. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2005-11-22/lucknow/27855885_1_double-murder-sohrab-crime-branch. Retrieved June 9, 2011. 
  3. ^ "Saifi murder mastermind close to power corridors". The Times Of India. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-06-07/lucknow/29628717_1_murder-case-police-act-rustam-and-sohrab. 
  4. ^ Atiq Khan (March 5, 2011). "CB-CID arrests two for arson at Rita Bahuguna's house". Chennai, India: The Hindu. http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article1510382.ece. Retrieved June 9, 2011. 
  5. ^ Rajiv Srivastava (May 24, 2011). "Dormant intelligence taking toll on police investigation?". Times of India. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Dormant-intelligence-taking-toll-on-police-investigation/articleshow/8547631.cms. Retrieved June 9, 2011. 
  6. ^ "CMO murder: MLC, 15 others under scanner". The Times Of India. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-06-03/lucknow/29616506_1_cmo-murder-mlc-murder-mystery. 
  7. ^ Bhupendra Pandey (Apr 07 2011). "Both Lucknow CMOs ‘killed by same pistol’". Indian Express. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Both-Lucknow-CMOs--killed-by-same-pistol-/772921/. Retrieved Apr 07 2011.  bullets were fired from the same weapon which was used to gun down his predecessor Dr Vinod Arya in October last year.
  8. ^ "UP becoming lawless: Two CMOs shot dead in span of five months". CNN-IBN. April 7, 2011. http://www.merinews.com/article/up-becoming-lawless-two-cmos-shot-dead-in-span-of-five-months/15846663.shtml. 
  9. ^ [1] The Opposition is continuously mounting pressure on the government regarding the involvement of a minister, an MP and an MLA in the case.
  10. ^ "Two Uttar Pradesh minisers resign". CNN-IBN. April 7, 2011. http://ibnlive.in.com/news/two-uttar-pradesh-ministers-resign/148584-37-64.html. 
  11. ^ Bhupendra Pandey (Jun 09 2011). "BSP’s Bobby under scanner for murder of govt employee". Indian Express. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/held-for-murder-three-spill-beans-on-up-politician/801217/. Retrieved Jun 09 2011. Quote: Three hardened criminals, who were arrested for killing a jeweller and looting in Delhi last month, have reportedly confessed to committing another murder — an employee of UP government — in Lucknow in March at the behest of BSP leader Intezar Ahmed Abidi alias Bobby. Bobby is also the chairman of Lal Bahadur Shastri Ganna Vikas Sansthan.