Lucknow: The Income Tax department has made a startling discovery involving a series of land parcels scattered across Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh. These properties, estimated to be valued at approximately Rs 60 crore, are suspected to have been owned by the deceased gangster Atiq Ahmed, and investigations are now focusing on his close associates. Interestingly, the properties are officially registered under the name of Suraj Pal, who had served as a security guard for Mohammad Ashraf, a known aide of Atiq Ahmed.

Officials strongly suspect that these properties constitute "benami properties," acquired through Suraj Pal's name to conceal their true ownership by Atiq Ahmed. The suspicion arose due to the stark contrast between Suraj Pal's status as a Below Poverty Line (BPL) cardholder and the widespread distribution of land parcels registered in his name across Prayagraj. The Income Tax department's Benami Investigation Wing has taken action to attach these properties as part of its probe into Atiq Ahmed's affairs. Ahmed's family and criminal network are believed to have benefited from numerous such "benami properties" worth millions of rupees.

Mohammad Ashraf, the employer of Suraj Pal, is implicated in the Umesh Pal kidnapping case alongside Atiq Ahmed and others. Ashraf has a criminal record that includes charges of murder, kidnapping, and land grabbing.

Suspicion Deepened by Inconsistent Tax Data

To support the suspicion that these land parcels are, in fact, benami properties linked to Atiq Ahmed, the Income Tax department analyzed Suraj Pal's income tax records. It was revealed that Pal had not filed any Income Tax Returns before the Assessment year (AY) 2018-19. Subsequently, for AY 2018-19 through AY 2022-23, Pal filed returns indicating income from the business category 'Real Estate and Renting Services.'

However, a closer look at Pal's income tax profile showed erratic and incomplete data concerning his gross turnover and presumptive income. The provided data failed to explain how his inventories had escalated from Rs 40 lakh to Rs 6.16 crore in just five years with his limited income. Moreover, the reported Liabilities and Assets in Pal's tax records did not align – an inconsistency that the Income Tax Department interprets as evidence of falsified data.

Further investigation involved accessing property transaction details from Uttar Pradesh's Inspector-general of Registration and Stamp (IGRS) official website. The search yielded multiple immovable properties registered under Pal's name, even before his first ITR filing in 2018. Astonishingly, since January 1, 2018, Pal has carried out at least 11 property purchase transactions, some of which he subsequently sold. The investigation also uncovered that many of these properties had been consistently transferred since January 2018. Detailed records show that Pal had sold a total of 42 properties, with two transactions taking place just weeks after Atiq Ahmed's demise in April this year.

Income Tax Department Suspicions and Implications:-

The Income Tax department's findings indicate a substantial mismatch between Suraj Pal's reported income and the significant number of properties registered in his name over the years. The haste with which properties were sold after Ahmed's death raises suspicions that his family or associates aimed to capitalize on these benami properties. Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were fatally shot outside a medical college in Prayagraj on April 15. The unfolding investigation underscores a web of suspicious transactions and benami ownership, potentially involving the gangster's associates and family members seeking to capitalize on these assets after his demise.

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