Gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari has been sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison by a special court for threatening to kill a coal trader in 1997. The MP-MLA court, presided over by Ujjawal Upadhyay, also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on Ansari. The victim’s counsel, Vidhan Chandra Yadav, stated that Ansari had threatened to blast Mahaveer Prasad Ranguta, a resident of Varanasi, and his house in January 1997. The court concluded the hearing on December 5 and reserved its judgment, convicting Ansari and announcing the quantum of punishment on Friday. Ansari attended the court proceedings via video conferencing from Banda jail.
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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).
In a related development, the Uttar Pradesh government assured the Supreme Court that it would strengthen the security of Mukhtar Ansari in Banda jail, if needed, to ensure no harm comes to him. This assurance came during a hearing of a plea by Mukhtar Ansari’s son Umar Ansari, who sought a direction to transfer his father to a prison outside Uttar Pradesh due to a ‘serious and imminent threat’ to his life. The Supreme Court, comprising a bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and Sanjay Karol, recorded the statement of the State of Uttar Pradesh, ensuring the protection of Ansari in jail.
This case highlights the ongoing legal challenges and security concerns surrounding Mukhtar Ansari, a prominent figure with a history of criminal activities and political involvement. The assurance by the Uttar Pradesh government to the Supreme Court underscores the state’s commitment to maintaining security and order within its correctional facilities, especially for high-profile inmates like Ansari.
