Mukhtar Ansari, a jailed gangster-turned-politician in Uttar Pradesh, has alleged that he was served poisoned food inside the prison, leading to a severe deterioration in his health. This claim emerged during a court session in Barabanki district when Ansari was unable to attend due to his condition, prompting his lawyer to request medical intervention.
Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh: On Thursday (March 21), Mukhtar Ansari, a gangster and former Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA politician, raised serious allegations regarding his health condition inside the prison. Ansari claims that his health is deteriorating after an incident where he was allegedly served poisoned food within the jail premises.
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The incident occurred during a court session in Barabanki district on Thursday, where Ansari was due to attend a hearing related to a case of fraudulent ambulance registration. The ambulance in question was reportedly used to transport him from a jail to a court in Punjab. However, Ansari, citing his deteriorated health, failed to make a physical appearance.
Through an application presented by his legal representative, Randhir Singh Suman, Ansari conveyed his alarming experience, stating that on the evening of March 19, he was subjected to food contamination with a toxic substance, which led to a significant decline in his health.
In an application filed through his lawyer, Randhir Singh Suman,
he said, “On the night of March 19, my food was laced with poisonous substances, following which my health has deteriorated. I feel like I’m going to choke.”
The lawyer said Ansari’s health was “completely fine” before this incident, and therefore, he has requested the court form a team of doctors for his proper treatment.
Further intensifying the concern, Ansari also mentioned a similar poisoning attempt made against him about 40 days prior to the recent occurrence.
During the court proceedings on Thursday, it was noted that Ansari did not appear in the virtual hearing from Banda jail. Instead, Deputy Jailor Mahendra Singh represented the prison authority and confirmed Ansari’s ill state.
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The case against Ansari and his 12 associates was registered in March 2022.
Ansari, involved in several cases, has been lodged in Banda jail since 2021 after being transferred from a Punjab Jail. According to the UP police headquarters, Mukhtar has 65 cases against him, including murder, extortion, and criminal conspiracy, across various police stations in the state. He has been convicted in seven of these cases. Ansari, a five-time MLA from the Mau assembly constituency, did not contest the 2022 assembly elections, and his seat was won by his son Abbas Ansari from the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP).
The court has now adjourned the matter to March 29 for the next hearing.
