Why Atiq Ahmed’s wife Shaista Parveen is on UP government’s ‘most wanted’ list of criminals

Just a few days after gangster turned politician Atiq Ahmed’s death in Prayagraj, his wife Shaista Parveen has landed on the top of the Uttar Pradesh government’s “most wanted” list of criminals, with a heavy bounty announced on her head by the authorities.

Don Atiq Ahmed was killed in a shooting alongside his brother Ashraf in Prayagraj last week, leaving his wife Shaista Parveen the only member of his family who currently remains on the run, with four of his sons under custody and one son – Asad Ahmed – killed in an encounter.

After the killing of Atiq Ahmed, the UP government has now tightened its noose around his crime family with solid plans to nab absconding Shaista Parveen. There is a bounty of Rs 50,000 on her head, with all civilians asked to give information on her whereabouts.

Why are UP police looking for Shaista Parveen?

Ever since Atiq Ahmed went to jail a few months ago, it is believed that his wife Shaista Parveen turned into the matriarch of the family and took over his affairs, including running his crime syndicate and putting forward the plan to murder Umesh Pal.

It was reported that Shaista even visited Atiq in Sabarmati jail to discuss the plan to murder Umesh Pal, who was the prime witness in the BSP MLA Raju Pal murder case. Shaista Parveen is one of the prime accused in the Umesh Pal murder case, being its key conspirator.

According to the authorities, Shaista Parveen has a total of four cases registered against her, one for murder and three for cheating. She has been evading arrest and has been out of the public eye ever since her son Asad Ahmed got shot dead by the UP Special Task Force in an encounter in Jhansi.

Shaista Parveen had earlier joined AIMIM and later switched to BSP in Uttar Pradesh. However, BSP recently distanced itself from Parveen, not including her name in the list of candidates for elections.

READ | Who is Shaista Parveen, Atiq Ahmed's wife and mother of Asad Ahmed, alleged killer of Umesh Pal?