An MP-MLA court held gangster-politician Atiq Ahmad and two others guilty in the 2006 Umesh Pal kidnapping case, and sentenced them to life imprisonment.

Atiq Ahmed, a gangster-turned-politician, and two other defendants were found guilty by a court in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, of kidnapping Umesh Pal, the key witness in the murder of BSP Lawmaker Raju Pal, in 2006.

Khalid Azim alias Ashraf, Ahmed's brother, was one of seven people who received acquittals. Later in the day, according to sources, the MP-MLA court is likely to decide on the severity of the sentence. The imprisoned don has received his first conviction.

Atiq Ahmed suffered yet another setback when the Supreme Court rejected his request for protection while he was being held by Uttar Pradesh police in connection with the murder of Umesh Pal. According to Ahmed, he and his family are under a real and immediate threat to their life.

Ahead of the court hearing today in the 17-year-old kidnapping case, Ahmed was shifted from the Sabarmati Jail in Gujarat to the Naini Central Jail in Prayagraj amid tight security arrangements.