CBI Drops Bombshell: Guddu Muslim Implicated in Raju Pal Murder

In the annals of Prayagraj, a shadowy figure known as Guddu Muslim, notorious for his adeptness in handling primitive explosives, was implicated by the police in the 2005 slaying of BSP MLA Raju Pal, a case shrouded in mystery and intrigue. A hefty bounty of ₹5 lakh was placed on his head in connection with the brutal demise of lawyer Umesh Pal and his two vigilant guardians in February 2023.

Eyewitnesses present at the scene attested to witnessing his hurling of makeshift bombs at Raju Pal’s conveyance, a spectacle etched in their memory. Despite the police’s efforts in drafting a comprehensive chargesheet, the subsequent scrutiny by the CBI yielded no substantive evidence linking him to the crime.

Among the myriad suspects ensnared in the police’s legal net, only a fraction, comprising ten individuals, faced charges by the CBI in their exhaustive dossier. Notably absent were the names of six accused, including Guddu Muslim and Malli, owing to a dearth of compelling evidence, while one perpetrator had succumbed to the whims of mortality prior to the indictment.

The specter of Atiq, a nefarious nexus of organized crime and politics, loomed large over the tragic demise of MLA Raju Pal and his retinue on January 25, 2005, as divulged by his bereaved spouse, Pooja Pal. While the identity of the other assailants remained veiled in obscurity, the diligent efforts of law enforcement unmasked the names of eleven perpetrators, duly indicted in a meticulously crafted chargesheet.

During the tumultuous era of the BSP’s reign, a renewed impetus was injected into the investigation, spearheaded by Inspectors Surendra Singh and Narayan Singh Parihar. Armed with irrefutable evidence, they unveiled the identities of each assailant, including the elusive Abdul Kavi, exonerated by his predecessors. Noteworthy among the revelations were the involvement of Guddu Muslim and Atiq’s triggerman, Asif alias Malli.

A litany of seven fresh appellants were ensnared in the web of justice, meticulously woven by Narayan Singh Parihar, culminating in the filing of charges against seventeen accused, Atiq Ahmad among them. Subsequently, in 2008, the CB-CID undertook a thorough investigation, laying bare the culpability of seventeen individuals. Following a directive from the highest echelons of justice and at the behest of Pooja Pal, the CBI commenced its probe in 2016, albeit marred by the demise of Nafees Kalia prior to its conclusion.

The CBI’s forensic scrutiny, while exhaustive, failed to implicate six suspects, Guddu Muslim and Malli included, alongside Nafees Kalia and Gulful, whose demise stemmed from natural causes.

Enumerated below are the names enshrined in the police and CB-CID’s chargesheets: