The death of incarcerated former legislator and mafia don Mukhtar Ansari in Banda jail has stirred a storm of controversy, with his family alleging foul play and pointing fingers at the involvement of another former legislator and Mukhtar’s sworn enemy Brijesh Singh.
Ansari's family members claim he was poisoned inside the jail premises to prevent him from testifying against Singh in court.
According to Afzal Ansari, Mukhtar's brother, "Forty days ago he was given poison in his food. Even ten days ago, poison was given in the lunch."
He asserts that the poisoning was orchestrated to impede Mukhtar's appearance in the MPMLA Court Ghazipur, where his testimony against Brijesh Singh was crucial.
Mafia don-turned-politician Brijesh Singh was released from Varanasi Central jail in 2022 on bail in a criminal case for an alleged attack on Mukhtar Ansari in 2001 in Mohammadabad police station area of Ghazipur district. This was the last of the several criminal cases Brajesh Singh was facing in which the trial is yet to start.
Mukhtar Ansari's son Umar also alleged that his father was given poison in the food and said he would approach the court. "We said this before also and even today we will say the same thing. On March 19, he was poisoned in the dinner. We will move to the judiciary, we have full faith in it...," he said.
In a petition filed by Mukhtar's advocate in the High Court and the Supreme Court, it is alleged that he was poisoned twice during lunch in Banda jail, suggesting a concerted effort by the government administration to eliminate him.
Demanding justice, the family members have called for a transfer of all cases against Mukhtar to courts outside the state and his relocation from Banda jail. "Mukhtar has cases ongoing at many places like Delhi, Barabanki, Varanasi, Ghazipur. In such a situation, all his cases should be heard in the court of another state," advocates his family.
Expressing concerns over the disregard for legal procedures during Mukhtar's incarceration, his advocate Saubhagya Mishra laments, "Law was not followed when Mukhtar was in jail. His son Umar and other family members were not even allowed to meet or talk to him." The advocate further highlights the perceived threat to Mukhtar's life and the lack of adequate safety measures.
The sequence of events leading to Mukhtar's demise paints a grim picture. March 20 saw accusations of 19 individuals poisoning jail food, followed by the suspension of three jail officials on March 24. Subsequent days witnessed Mukhtar's deteriorating health, culminating in his sudden demise on March 28.
The series of events raises troubling questions about the circumstances surrounding Mukhtar Ansari's death and the adequacy of security measures within the jail premises. As investigations unfold, the clamor for justice grows louder, with advocates and family members alike demanding accountability for what they perceive as a grave miscarriage of justice.
Political parties demand probe
Several politicians including RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi and Bahujan Samaj Party Chief Mayawati have called for a probe into the dreaded gangster's family's allegations.
The demise of Mukhtar Ansari has raised concerns about the law-and-order situation in Uttar Pradesh. Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav has demanded a probe supervised by a Supreme Court judge into such suspicious cases.
In a statement posted in Hindi on X, Yadav stressed the government's responsibility to safeguard individuals' lives in all circumstances and locations. He emphasized the need for thorough investigations into cases involving deaths in police custody, jail altercations, medical emergencies, hospital treatments, alleged encounters, false suicides, or accidents, to maintain public trust in the judicial process.
Probe ordered
A chief judicial magistrate's court in Uttar Pradesh's Banda has initiated a judicial inquiry into the demise of gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari, as confirmed by a senior official. Banda's Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Bhagwan Das Gupta, has appointed Garima Singh, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (MP-MLA Court Banda), to lead the investigation, seeking a comprehensive probe report within a month.
