The Supreme Court, on Friday, 26 March, ordered the transfer of gangster-turned-MLA, Mukhtar Ansari from Punjab to a jail in Uttar Pradesh.
The top court directed the Punjab government to hand over the Bahujan Samaj Party MLA’s custody from Punjab’s Ropar Jail to UP police within two weeks, reported Live Law.
“It is directed that Mukhtar Ansari is handed over to the custody of UP within 2 weeks. He shall be lodged in Banda Jail. Jail Superintendent of Banda will extend medical facilities,” said the bench of Justices, Ashok Bhushan and R Subhash Reddy, quoted Live Law.
The SC dismissed Ansari’s petition, seeking to transfer the criminal case out of UP claiming that he had a ‘threat to life’ there, noted the report.
The UP government, in its petition had argued that Ansari was wanted for trials in several grave offences in UP, and was being shielded by the state of Punjab on fake medical grounds, added the report.
Background
Ansari has been booked for extortion and criminal intimidation, based on the complaint of a CEO of Homeland Group that operates in Punjab and Delhi. The Punjab Police picked up Ansari and brought him to Ropar jail on a production warrant from UP, and he has been lodged there since, reported The Indian Express.
There are over 38 cases of heinous crimes lodged against Ansari in various police stations including Lucknow, Ghazipur, and Mau in UP, added the report.
A Delhi Court had previously acquitted Ansari, his MP brother Afzal Ansari, and five others in the murder case of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai.
On 29 November 2005, BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai and six others were shot down with AK-47 rifles in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh. Following the incident, Rai’s body was found riddled with over 21 bullets.
Gangster-Turned-Politician
Ansari has been elected five times from the Mau Assembly Constituency. His first victory came in 1996 when he fought on a BSP ticket. However, in 2010, Ansari was expelled by the party for involvement in criminal activities.
He then formed his own party, Quami Ekta Dal, with his brothers and won from the Mau seat in 2012 Assembly elections.
Later, Ansari merged his party with BSP in 2017 and won the state elections as a BSP candidate.
(With inputs from Live Law and The Indian Express)
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