Allahabad High Court rejects bail plea of former MP Rizwan Zaheer in alleged political murder case

The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court last week rejected the bail application of former Member of Parliament Rizwan Zaheer in a murder case.

The prosecution alleged that Zaheer is the prime architect of the murder to remove his political opponent from the scene. The bench of Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh also noted, 

"It is not in dispute that the deceased was trying to get ticket from Samajwadi Party for Assembly Elections of 2022 from Tulsipur Constituency. The accused-applicant was trying to get ticket from the same constituency from the Samajwadi Party for his daughter, co-accused, Zeba Rizwan."

Court also noted that Zaheer is a "bahubali" with long record of heinous offences registered against him. Therefore, considering the heinousness of the crime, impact on the society, Zaheer's influence and might, Court rejected his bail plea. 

The case pertains to the murder of one Firoz Ahmed alias Pappu from Balrampur. During the course of the investigation, wife of the deceased recorded her statement under Section 161 of CrPC alleging that his husband was very active in politics and was hopeful of getting the ticket from Samajwadi Party to fight Vidhan Sabha election from Tulsipur Constituency. 

She had claimed that Zaheer was also trying to get the same ticket for his daughter, and her husband had told her that he feared for his life from Zaheer, his son-in-law, Rameez, his daughter, Zeba Rizwan, and Shakeel.

The FIR in the case was registered against unknown persons on the basis on a complaint made by the deceased's brother wherein it was claimed that "the deceased was going to his house at around 10.20 PM on 4.1.2022 after he got alighted from the car of Shahid Pradhan, two unknown persons having iron rod and sharp-edged weapon, attacked the deceased and he was killed mercilessly. On alarm when the complainant reached at the place of incident, he found his brother dead. The assailants had fled away from the scene of occurrence."

Zaheer's counsel prayed before the court that this was a case of no evidence and Zaheer had been falsely implicated due to political reasons. He also submitted that Zaheer has been in jail since January 10, 2022, and he is not keeping good health inasmuch he has been suffering from heart ailment and is highly diabetic.

On the other hand, the Additional Government Advocate and counsel for the complainant opposed the bail application and submitted that Zaheer is a hardened criminal and 'bahubali' and out of fifteen cases registered against him, six cases are relating to serious offences like murder etc.

They argued that "if Zaheer is enlarged on bail, he will influence the witnesses and tamper with the evidence and free and fair trial would not be possible because of terror, might, money and muscle power in his possession."

Case Title: Rizwan Zaheer S/O Zaheerul Haq v. State Of U.P. Thru. Its Prin. Secy. Home