The Special Cell had received information two days ago about his movement and picked him up yesterday near Ghalib Apartments in Pitampura.

Ahmed is wanted in nine cases in Uttar Pradesh and is carrying a reward of Rs 20,000. “We had information that he was hiding in Mumbai, Faridabad and Delhi. In Delhi, he had to meet a contractor whom we have to interrogate,” said Karnal Singh, Joint Commissioner of Police, Special Cell. At the time of arrest, he was travelling in a Honda City car.

Even while he was on the run, he spoke to the media, including The Indian Express, last month.

He was today presented before a city court and will be handed over to the UP police. He was arrested after the murder of Raju Pal, who was allegedly killed for defeating Ahmed’s brother in the assembly elections. “He came out on bail and later threatened witnesses. He was further booked by the UP Police and to evade arrest he fled again,” added Singh. Ahmed had contested Lok Sabha elections on Samajwadi Party ticket from Phulpur in 2004 but was later expelled from the party.

Ahmed was involved in an attack on his arch rival Javed Iqbal, a BSP leader, in 2001. While Iqbal escaped, his bodyguard was killed. In this case, Atiq’s name had figured as the main conspirator.

Described in the police record as ‘Duracahari number39 A’ (history-sheeter number 39 A), Ahmed’s name had figured as the main accused in the infamous ‘state guesthouse incident’ in which Samajwadi Party supporters had attacked the BSP MLAs who were inside the state guesthouse in Lucknow after the BSP’s decision to withdraw support from the SP in 1995.