House of slain Ashraf’s wife demolished over Waqf Board land encroachment allegations
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI – The Prayagraj Development Authority (PDA) on Thursday demolished the palatial residence of Zainab Fatima, the wife of the late Khalid Azim alias Ashraf, younger brother of the slain former MP Atiq Ahmed. The demolition, carried out on Thursday, follows allegations of illegal land occupation.
Atiq Ahmed and Ashraf were shot dead as the police were taking them for a hospital check-up in the Uttar Pradesh city of Prayagraj in April 2023. The murder, which was caught on camera, came just days after Atiq Ahmed’s son was killed in a police encounter.
Zainab Fatima’s luxurious house, valued at around ₹5 crore, was located in the Salapur area under the Puramufti police station’s jurisdiction. The PDA issued a notice to Zainab Fatima for illegally constructing the house on approximately seven bighas of Waqf Board land.
The bulldoze operation was supervised by PDA officials in the presence of DCP Deepak Bhokar and ACP Varun Kumar, along with a strong police presence.
“This building was constructed under the name Zeeshan Fatima on Waqf land. They could not prove their ownership. Hence, the order to demolish it was passed,” stated N. Hashmi, PDA Zonal Officer.
A case against Zainab and her brothers, Saddam and Zaid Master, was registered in November 2023 at Puramufti police station, following a complaint by the area custodian. Subsequently, the police, acting under the Gangster Act, sealed the house.
Zainab Fatima, who is currently absconding, also faces charges related to the Amish Pal murder case. The police have announced a reward of ₹25,000 for any information leading to her capture. The same murder case implicated her husband, Ashraf.
The demolition comes in the wake of a broader crackdown on “illegal” properties linked to the Ahmed family. Last week, Prayagraj police compiled records of illegal properties associated with five members of Atiq Ahmed’s gang. DCP Deepak Bhokar confirmed that the police are investigating properties associated with the gang.
