Prayagraj, April 1 : The Prayagraj police have launched a massive hunt for slain mafia-politician Atiq Ahmad's henchman Israr Ahmad, who was among the seven men convicted by the special CBI court in Lucknow on Friday for the murder of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Raju Pal in 2005, the police said.

While the six others -- Abid Pradhan, Javed, Ranjeet Pal, Abdul Kavi, Gul Hasan, Mohammed Farhan -- were sentenced to life imprisonment, the court declared accused Israr an absconder and issued a non-bailable warrant against him.

Raids are being carried out in search of Israr in Newa, Mariadih and other areas here.

The police raided Israr's home at Newa where they learnt that he fled a day before the verdict.

Vaibhav Singh, Station House Officer of Dhoomanganj police station, said, "Raids are being carried out at Newa and other places in search of Israr Ahmad. His close aides are being questioned to learn about his hideouts."

Police officials also said Israr's wife and children were found at his home but they claimed they had no information about him. All possible hideouts of Israr were being raided and his close aides were being questioned to trace him.

The judgment in the case was pronounced on March 29. Farhan was brought from Chitrakoot jail while Abdul Kavi was brought to the court from Lucknow jail. All others, including Abid Pradhan, Gul Hasan, Ranjeet Pal, Javed and Israr, were out on bail.

Israr, who is in his 60s, allegedly fled a day before the verdict.

Israr has 13 cases, including Gangsters Act and Goonda Act against him at the Dhoomanganj and Cantonment police stations in Prayagraj.

Atiq Ahmad was also an accused in the Raju Pal murder case but the proceedings against him and his brother Khalid Azim alias Ashraf were stopped after they were gunned down by three assailants posing as journalists outside a hospital in Prayagraj on April 15 last year.

Another accused, Rafiq Ahmed, died in prison in 2020.

Raju Pal was gunned down on January 25, 2005, in Prayagraj as a result of political rivalry with Atiq Ahmad's brother Ashraf, whom he had defeated in the 2004 bypoll to the Allahabad West Assembly constituency three months before.

/IANS