Saturday, the MP-MLA court in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, sentenced ex-criminal turned politician Mukhtar Ansari to 10 years in prison and a fine of 5 lakh for the hijacking and murder of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Krishnanand Rai.
Afzal Ansari, the older sibling of the defendant and a member of the BSP parliament, had his verdict reserved.
Earlier on Saturday, the window of Rai, who was allegedly murdered in 2005 in Ghazipur by Ansari and Afzal Ansari, declared that the rule of the mafia in Uttar Pradesh has ended and that she has faith in the judiciary. “I have faith in the legal system. Alka Rai stated that the rule of Goondas and Mafias has ended (in the state).
Who is Mukhtar Ansari?
Gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari is a five-time MLA from the Uttar Pradesh Mau constituency. He is related to the former Vice President of India, Mohammad Hamid Ansari.
Involved in underworld activities in and around Ghazipur in the 1970s, Ansari earned a reputation as a gangster before entering politics. Ansari, who has been incarcerated for over 15 years, has nearly 60 cases of land theft, extortion, and homicide on his record.
Mohammad Hamid Ansari, the former Vice President of India, is one of the few well-known members of Ansari’s family. His paternal grandfather, Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari, was a liberation fighter and the president of the Congress party. Mohammad Usman, his maternal ancestor, was a Brigadier in the Indian Army. He was killed in the 1948 Indo-Pak conflict and awarded the Mahaveer Chakra posthumously.
Political foundation
Ansari began his political career as a student union leader at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in the early 1990s before being elected as an MLA in 1996.
Eventually, Ansari became the uncontested chief of the Poorvanchal region. Ansari had capitalised on Muslim votebank. Additionally, Ansari has been accused of inciting communal violence in the district of Mau.
In 2007, Ansari and his sibling joined the Bahujan Samaj Party. They were admitted to the party after claiming that the charges against them were false and politically motivated.
Ansari contested the 2009 Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi for the BSP while incarcerated. In 2010, the two were expelled from the party.
The present instance
On November 29, 2005, BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai was murdered while attending a wedding in his hometown.
During the time that contracted assassins were at Ansari’s residence, police warned Rai of a death threat.
Rai was convinced to play cricket instead of using his bulletproof vehicle. On his journey home, Rai was shot with automatic weapons. Seven people in total had perished.
Ansari was incarcerated at the moment.
Additional charges against Mukhtar Ansari
The case against Mukhtar Ansari was registered under the Gangster Act after he was charged with involvement in the 1996 hijacking of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Nandkishore Rungta. The case also detailed his participation in the 2005 assassination of Rai.
This is the fourth time Ansari has been found guilty. Last year, he was convicted of three additional offenses. One of them was for intimidating an on-duty jailer. Ansari had verbally abused and threatened to murder the jailer.
Ansari was also sentenced to five years in a case dating back 23 years. Under the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Antisocial Activities (Prevention) Act of 1986, he was convicted.
Over sixty cases have been lodged against Ansari for land extortion, murder, and other crimes. He has been in prison since 2005. Ansari is presently incarcerated in the Banda district jail.