Jailed gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari ied of cardiac arrest on Thursday within hours after he was rushed to the Rani Durgawati Medical College in Banda district. “Around 8:25 p.m. convicted/undertail prisoner Mukhtar Ansari, son of Subhanullah, aged 63, was brought by jail staff to the Emergency department at the Rani Durgawati Medical College in an unconscious state. The patient was treated by a team of nine doctors and given all possible medical facilities, but despite all the attempts for recovery, the patient died due to cardiac arrest,” reads the medical bulletin. Earlier also on March 26, the late Ansari was admitted to a hospital after he complained of abdominal pain and later discharged with his family alleging of him being ‘poisoned’.
Mr. Ansari, a five-time former MLA, faced more than five dozen cases and has been languishing in jail since 2005. He wields influence in the Ghazipur-Mau-Varanasi region of eastern Uttar Pradesh allegedly through a criminal syndicate and been involved in rivalry with other strongmen of the regions. In the last 18 months, the deceased has been convicted in seven cases by the courts. In June 2023, a MP/MLA court sentenced the former MLA to life imprisonment in the murder of Awadhesh Rai, brother of Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai. Earlier in April 2023, the former MLA was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment in connection with the cases of kidnapping of Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Nand Kishore Rungta and the 2005 murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai, respectively. The Uttar Pradesh government said it seized or demolished properties worth more than ₹600 crore related to the Ansari group and killed five criminals allegedly belonging to the group in encounters.
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Prohibitory ordersThe Uttar Pradesh police imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), curtailing large gatherings across the State following the death of the former MLA. In districts of Mau, Varanasi and Ghazipur where the deceased wields influence for decades, the police conducted flag march along with additional deployment of personnel. The Samajwadi Party condoled the death. “Sad demise of former MLA Mr. Mukhtar Ansari. May his soul rest in peace. May the bereaved family members get the strength to bear this immense sorrow. Humble tribute,” reads a post by the SP on X.
In the wake of Mr. Ansari’s death, SP leader and former Minister I.P. Singh appealed to the Supreme Court to immediately shift jailed SP leader Azam Khan from Uttar Pradesh jail to any non-BJP ruled State. “It is my personal appeal to the honourable Supreme Court that the eight-time MLA, MP and several-time Cabinet Minister Shri Azam Khan Sahab should be immediately shifted from the jail of Uttar Pradesh to a non-BJP ruled State. Next major conspiracy could happen with him. The life of any citizen is not safe in the country today,” reads a post by Mr. Singh on X.
