The arrest comes a day after the Allahabad High Court had rapped the district police for its failure to nab the mafia don-turned-politician, even after a month of the lodging of the FIR.
"Ahmed was arrested at the Naini police station where he had gone this afternoon to give his statement in connection with the FIR lodged by employees of SHIATS agriculture institute in December last year," Additional SP (trans-Yamuna) Allahabad Ashok Kumar Rai said.
Ahmed, along with a number of supporters, was named in the FIR lodged after staff members of the institute had been allegedly beaten up by the former Phulpur MP and his aides on December 14 on being prevented from forcibly entering the premises.
Yesterday, a Division Bench headed by Chief Justice D B Bhosle had come down heavily on the police for its failure to arrest Ahmed and summoned his criminal history besides ordering that all accused in the case be arrested by the next date of hearing in the matter on Monday, February 13.
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Upon being told that the former Phulpur MP had moved a surrender application before the court of Special Chief Judicial Magistrate of Allahabad, the court had made it clear that if he wished to surrender he must do so "before this (High) court and no other".
The High Court was hearing a petition filed by the institute's employeesrequesting directions to the administration for providing them with adequate security.
Taking a grim view of the situation, the court had yesterday also declined a request from the institute's proctor to withdraw the petition and said "if you do not wish to pursue the matter, we will treat it as a Public Interest Litigation and proceed suo motu".
Minister Akhilesh Yadav, who took a tough stance against those with a criminal history.
When the CM emerged as the party's de facto leader after a bitter family feud which left SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and Shivpal isolated, Ahmed announced his "decision to withdraw in deference to Akhilesh".
Meanwhile, welcoming Ahmed's arrest as "a development which will lessen fear in the minds of the people during elections", the BJP lambasted the ruling SP in the state, squarely blaming it for "inordinate delay in arrest of an accused which forced the court to intervene".