Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court in Uttar Pradesh’s Banda has initiated a judicial inquiry into the demise of gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari. The court appointed Garima Singh, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, as the investigating officer, with a mandate to furnish the probe report within a month.
Ansari, aged 63, was transferred from the district jail to Rani Durgavati Medical College in Banda in an unconscious state by jail staff on Thursday after he complained of nausea. He was provided immediate medical care by a team of nine doctors, but despite their best efforts, he later succumbed to a cardiac arrest.
His death sparked controversy, with his son alleging that Ansari had been subjected to “slow poisoning” during his incarceration. This assertion raised significant concerns, given Ansari’s extensive criminal history and political influence.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Friday reacted to the Opposition’s accusations over Ansari’s death, saying, “Ghazipur, Mau, Jaunpur, Azamgarh, and Balia were known as the epicentre of the comrades. How did these regions become the hotspot of criminals?… We all need to beware. Their tactics of communal polarisation have been nullified by PM Narendra Modi’s efforts of inclusive empowerment,”.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav demanded that a Supreme Court judge must probe the death of Mukhtar Ansari. BSP president Mayawati also demanded a high-level probe into Ansari’s death.
Following Ansari’s demise, the Uttar Pradesh administration swiftly imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC. It bolstered security measures in areas under Ansari’s influence, including Banda, Mau, Ghazipur, and Varanasi.
ALSO READ: CBI Files Closure In Air India Case Against Praful Patel
Ansari, a five-time MLA from Mau, had a staggering tally of over 60 pending criminal cases against him. Since 2005, Ansari has been lodged in different jails in UP and Punjab. He had 28 criminal cases, including that of murder, and seven cases under the UP’s Gangster Act registered against him since 2005.
Reports surfaced indicating that Ansari himself had voiced concerns about being poisoned while in jail. His son, Afzal Ansari, claimed that his father had been administered toxic substances in his food, leading to deteriorating health.
This allegation gained traction after Ansari’s lawyer filed an application in a Barabanki court, highlighting his client’s purported poisoning.
The Senior Superintendent of District Jail, Banda, had subsequently requested the appointment of an officer for a judicial inquiry into Ansari’s death.
Ansari’s postmortem, conducted in Banda, was meticulously documented through videography, with his viscera preserved for further examination. Ansari’s son expressed distrust in the local medical system, urging that doctors from AIIMS Delhi conduct the postmortem.
As preparations commenced for his cremation at the Kalibag graveyard in Yusufpur Mohammadabad, Ghazipur district. His nephew and SP MLA from Mohammadabad, Suhaib Ansari, confirmed the burial plans, noting that the timing would be finalized upon the departure of Ansari’s mortal remains from Banda to Ghazipur.
Amidst this, cops keep a close eye on Ansari’s wife, Afsa, who is wanted in multiple cases, including under the Gangster Act, and has been on the run for over a year now. Although the UP Police increased the cash reward on her head last year to Rs 75,000, it failed to bring success.
As an independent media platform, we do not take advertisements from governments and corporate houses. It is you, our readers, who have supported us on our journey to do honest and unbiased journalism. Please contribute, so that we can continue to do the same in future.
