Khalid Azim | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Legislative Assembly | |
| In office 2005–2007 | |
| Preceded by | Raju Pal |
| Succeeded by | Pooja Pal |
| Constituency | Prayagraj West |
| Personal details | |
| Died | 15 April 2023 Prayagraj,Uttar Pradesh,India |
| Manner of death | Assassination |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Political party | Samajwadi Party |
| Children | 4 |
| Relatives | Atiq Ahmad (brother) |
| Alma mater | Ewing Christian College |
| Spouse | Zainab Fatima [1] |
| Criminal charge | Murder,threats,extortion,Kidnapping and land grabbing |
Khalid Azim,also known as Ashraf or Ashraf Ahmad [2] (died 15 April 2023),was an Indian politician who had a criminal background. He served as a Member of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly from the Prayagraj West constituency. He faced 54 criminal cases,including murder,threats,extortion,abduction,and land grabbing offenses under various sections of the Indian Penal Code. [3] He was one of the prime accused in the murder of BSP MLA Raju Pal,and the charges were abated after his death. [4]
He was the brother of Atiq Ahmad,a gangster turned politician who also served as a parliamentarian. He was a member of Atiq Ahmad's IS-227 gang and was considered to be Ahmad's right-hand man by police records. [3]
Khalid Azim,who was affiliated with the Samajwadi Party,contested the 2005 legislative by-election for the Prayagraj West constituency. The seat had become vacant when his brother Atiq Ahmed was elected as a Member of Parliament from Phulpur. However,Khalid Azim was defeated by Raju Pal from the Bahujan Samaj Party. Following Raju Pal's murder on 25 January 2005, [5] a by-election was held,and he won the election from Prayagraj West constituency.
He contested the 2007 UP legislative elections but was defeated by Raju Pal's widow,Pooja Pal. [6] [7] Khalid Azim and his elder brother Atiq were the prime accused in the murder of BSP MLA Raju Pal. [8] [3]
In 1992,the first case was registered against him,at Prayagraj's Mutthiganj police station under various sections of the Indian Penal Code,including 147,148,149,364,504,and 506,as well as the 7 Criminal Law Amendment Act. It was alleged that he had kidnapped and physically assaulted a youth after an altercation. At the time of the incident,he was reportedly pursuing a degree at Ewing Christian College in Allahabad. [3] Later,cases were registered against him in different districts of Uttar Pradesh in the years 1996,1997,2001,2002,2003,2004,2005 and 2007. [9]
In January 2005,Khalid Azim was named as a prime suspect in the murder of BSP MLA Raju Pal. [10]
In January 2007,his name surfaced in the abduction and gang rape case of two minor girl students from a Madarsa in the Kareli area. [11]
Khalid Azim was married to Zainab Ruby and had four children,including three daughters and one son. [3]
On 15 April 2023,Khalid Azim and his brother Atiq Ahmed were being escorted by Uttar Pradesh Police for a court-ordered medical checkup in Prayagraj when they were attacked in front of media cameras,shot at point-blank range and killed by three men who had posed as media personnel. [12] Legal proceedings against Khalid Azim (alias Ashraf),his brother Atiq Ahmad,and Gulbul (alias Rafiq) in connection with the MLA Raju Pal murder case were closed after their deaths. [13]