LUCKNOW: An MP-MLA court in Balrampur on Friday acquitted former Samajwadi Party MP Rizwan Zaheer, his daughter Zeba Rizwan and son-in-law Rameez Nemat in the 2022 murder case of former Tulsipur Nagar Panchayat chairman and SP leader Firoz Ahmad alias Pappu, citing lack of sufficient evidence.Additional Sessions Judge Pradeep Kumar III held that the prosecution failed to prove charges against the three beyond reasonable doubt. The court, however, convicted Merajul Haq alias Mama and Mahfooz for the murder. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug 11.Another accused, Shakeel, died during the trial.The verdict comes after a trial lasting over four years. Security was heightened around the court complex ahead of the judgment due to the case’s political sensitivity.Brutal Murder in January 2022The case relates to the murder of former Nagar Panchayat chairman and Samajwadi Party leader Firoz Ahmad alias Pappu, who was attacked on the night of January 4, 2022, near his residence on the Tulsipur-Jarwa Road in Balrampur district.According to the prosecution, Firoz had stopped at a roadside paan shop when he was allegedly ambushed by assailants armed with iron rods and knives.The attackers allegedly struck him repeatedly on the head before slitting his throat and fleeing the scene.The critically injured leader was rushed to the Community Health Centre (CHC) at Tulsipur, where doctors declared him dead.The sensational killing sparked widespread tension in Tulsipur, prompting enhanced security arrangements in the area.Political Rivalry Cited as MotivePolice cracked the case within six days, with the then Superintendent of Police Hemant Kutiyal announcing the alleged breakthrough on January 10, 2022.During the investigation, police arrested Rizwan Zaheer, Zeba Rizwan, Rameez Nemat, Merajul Haq alias Mama, Mahfooz and Shakeel.Investigators alleged that the murder stemmed from an intense political rivalry within the Samajwadi Party over the Tulsipur Assembly constituency.According to the police investigation, Firoz Ahmad’s popularity had been steadily increasing and he was being viewed as a strong contender for the SP ticket from the Tulsipur Assembly seat. At the same time, Rizwan Zaheer was allegedly lobbying for the ticket for his daughter, Zeba Rizwan.Police claimed that the growing rivalry between the two factions culminated in the conspiracy to eliminate Firoz Ahmad.Police Alleged Conspiracy Hatched a Month EarlierThe investigation further alleged that the conspiracy to murder Firoz Ahmad had been hatched nearly one month before the incident and that there had been three earlier attempts on his life.According to the prosecution’s case, Merajul Haq alias Mama and Mahfooz executed the attack on the night of January 4, 2022, while Rizwan Zaheer, Zeba Rizwan, Rameez Nemat and Shakeel allegedly conspired to facilitate the murder.However, after evaluating the evidence presented during the trial, the MP-MLA court concluded that the prosecution had failed to establish the alleged conspiracy involving Rizwan Zaheer, his daughter and son-in-law beyond reasonable doubt.Reacting to the verdict, Rizwan Zaheer said, “A stigma had been attached to us, but today we have received justice.” Zeba Rizwan said, “Truth has prevailed and we have received justice.”Who is Rizwan ZaheerZaheer had won from Balrampur Lok Sabha constituency twice as an SP candidate – in 1998 and 1999. He was also elected as an MLA from Tulsipur assembly seat thrice – as an Independent in 1989, as an SP nominee in 1993, and as a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate in 1996. In 2019, he joined the BSP but returned to SP in 2021. The former MP also has 14 criminal cases in his name.
