A three-member team will conduct a magisterial investigation into the death of the gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari. The postmortem of the mafia, set to be conducted by a panel of two doctors, will be videographed.
Following the postmortem, Mukhtar’s mortal remains will be handed over to his son, Umar Ansari.
Lodged in Banda jail, Mukhtar died on Thursday after he suffered a heart attack at the prison. He was admitted to the Rani Durgavati Medical College in Banda after his health deteriorated.
An official medical bulletin from the hospital noted that Mukhtar died of cardiac arrest.
Mukhtar Ansari’s older brother Sibgatullah Ansari told news agency ANI that he found out about Mukhtar’s death through media, adding that he was not informed by the administration.
“He had been very unwell since 18th March and he was not being given any treatment despite raising an alarm again and again. On 25-26 March night, he was in a very bad condition, so he was brought to medical college for a few hours as a formality,” Sibgatullah said, adding that his brother was sent back as he was “stable” and that no treatment was given to him.
The gangster-turned-politician’s brother also said that despite expressing the family’s apprehensions to authorities months back and also in writing to the High Court and Supreme Court, “no cognisance was taken”.
POLITICIANS REACT
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati, taking to microblogging site X, pressed on the requirement of a “high-level investigation so that the true facts of his death can be revealed”.
“The persistent apprehensions and serious allegations made by Mukhtar Ansari’s family regarding his death in jail require a high-level investigation so that the true facts of his death can be revealed,” she wrote.
The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister further said, “In such a situation, it is natural for his family to be sad. May nature give them the strength to bear this sorrow.”
मुख़्तार अंसारी की जेल में हुई मौत को लेकर उनके परिवार द्वारा जो लगातार आशंकायें व गंभीर आरोप लगाए गए हैं उनकी उच्च-स्तरीय जाँच जरूरी, ताकि उनकी मौत के सही तथ्य सामने आ सकें। ऐसे में उनके परिवार का दुःखी होना स्वाभाविक। कुदरत उन्हें इस दुःख को सहन करने की शक्ति दे।— Mayawati (@Mayawati) March 29, 2024
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav hit out at the Uttar Pradesh government and said that a state “that cannot protect life has no right to remain in power”.
He said that protecting a person’s life in every situation and place is the state’s “first responsibility”. “All such doubtful cases should be investigated under the supervision of a Supreme Court judge,” Yadav added.
हर हाल में और हर स्थान पर किसी के जीवन की रक्षा करना सरकार का सबसे पहला दायित्व और कर्तव्य होता है। सरकारों पर निम्नलिखित हालातों में से किसी भी हालात में, किसी बंधक या क़ैदी की मृत्यु होना, न्यायिक प्रक्रिया से लोगों का विश्वास उठा देगा:– थाने में बंद रहने के दौरान– जेल के…
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) March 29, 2024
Samajwadi Party leader Ameeque Jamei also demanded a “thorough investigation of the incident” and raised questions over provision of proper medical facility to Mukhtar.
SP general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav also asked whether a judicial inquiry will be ordered into Mukhtar’s death.
In a post on X, Ram Gopal wrote “The circumstances under which former MLA Mukhtar Ansari died are extremely worrying. He had already filed an application in the court and expressed the fear of his murder by poison. In the current system, no one is safe in jail, nor in police custody, nor in their home.”
“By creating an atmosphere of administrative terror, people are being forced to keep their mouths shut. Is anyone safe on the basis of the application given by Mukhtar Ansari in the court? Will UP government order judicial inquiry?” he added.
Amid the opposition’s accusations, UP Minister and Nishad party chief Sanjay Nishad noted that death is a natural event, he said that “people should believe in science because forensic examination is the only which can be trusted”.
“The opposition has got nothing left but to blame, they should wait for the postmortem report…,” Nishad added.
BJP leader Hari Sahani hit out at the Opposition and asked “what’s the point of presenting it (Mukhtar’s death) in a big way?”
“Due to disease, his death occurred…Now what’s the point of presenting it in a big way…” Sahani told ANI.
He further said, “In Bihar, a priest was murdered brutality, but they didn’t find it plausible to raise voices for him, however, several cases were registered against that person (Deceased Mukhtar Ansari) and today he died due to cardiac arrest, now they have so much pain for him…”
POLICE REACT
Former UP Director General of Police (DGP) OP Singh said that accusation of Mukhtar being poisoned is “absolutely a baseless allegation”.
He said that everything will be clear once Mukhtar’s postmortem is done.
Singh addressed the rumours being spread in the state and noted that a high alert was also issued. Cops are on absolute alert in areas like Ghazipur, Mau, Azamgarh, Jaunpur and Varanasi.
He also took note that when Mukhtar was in Punjab jail, “he had submitted many such applications on medical grounds” to avoid appearing in UP courts. “He has not always been healthy and has been ill for long,” Singh added.
“Mukhtar Ansari was a criminal, a don, and a mafia, and his death should not be thought of extensively…” the former DGP said.
Former Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Shailendra Singh told news agency ANI about he was made to resign when he tried to take action against Mukhtar in 2004 — when the gangster’s empire was at its peak.
“He would move around in open jeeps in areas where curfew was imposed. That time I recovered a Light Machine Gun, no recovery was made before or after that. I even imposed POTA on him…,” the former DSP recounted.
But, he said, the “Mulayam government wanted to save him at any cost”. Shailendra Singh said that several senior officials — IG-Range, DIG, and SP-STF — were transferred, officials were pressurised and he himself was “made to resign within 15 days”.
“But in my resignation, I wrote my reasons and put it before the people that this is the government you chose, which is protecting and working on the orders of mafias… I wasn’t doing a favour to anyone. It was my duty…” Shailendra said.
Meanwhile, Superintendent of Police (Mau) said that “action will be taken against those who spread rumours”.
He noted that the region is on high alert, keeping in mind the “Friday namaz“.
“Some rumours have been doing the rounds that a curfew has been imposed in the region. Section 144 of the CrPC has already been imposed in Mau,” the SP said appealing to the people to “maintain peace and not believe in orders”.
(With ANI inputs)