Gangster Mukhtar Ansari gets lifer in 32-year-old murder of politician
An Uttar Pradesh court on Monday sentenced jailed gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari to life in prison in the 32-year-old murder case of Congress leader Awadhesh Rai. Five-term MLA Ansari has also been fined Rs. 1,00,000 in the 1991 murder case. Ansari is already serving a 10-year sentence in another kidnapping and murder case for which he was convicted in April.
Varanasi court concluded hearing in case on May 19
The Varanasi MP MLA court in Uttar Pradesh concluded the hearing in the case after arguments on May 19. It then reserved its order and fixed June 5 as the date to deliver it. Notably, the First Information Report (FIR) in the case named Ansari, Bhim Singh, and former MLA Abdul Kalim. Ansari has also been convicted in several criminal cases in the past.
Know about murder incident
On August 3, 1991, Congress politician Ajay Rai and his brother were standing at the entrance of their Varanasi home when some assailants, including Ansari, arrived in a car and shot Awadhesh. The incident allegedly occurred at a time when Ansari was gaining political importance. The case was then probed jointly by the Uttar Pradesh Police's Crime Branch and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
Ansari received 10-year jail in multiple cases in April
In April, Ansari was sentenced to ten years in prison by a court in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, for several cases including kidnapping and murder. The police had invoked the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act to book him. The 59-year-old five-times MLA from Mau was also fined Rs. 5 lakh by the court.
What are criminal cases against Ansari
Ansari was also charged with the kidnapping of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Nandkishore Rungta in 1996 and the murder of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Krishnanand Rai in 2005. He was booked in January in connection with the 2001 Usri Chatti gang war. In December 2022, he was sentenced to ten years in jail for five cases related to murder and attempted murder.
