News Analysis India

Tag: Mukhtar Ansari

  • Ambulance used to ferry Mukhtar Ansari to Mohali found abandoned in Rupnagar: Police

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH:  An ambulance used to ferry gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari to a Mohali court was found abandoned outside a roadside eatery on the Chandigarh-Nangal highway in Punjab’s Rupnagar district, police said on Sunday.

    The police said they have taken the vehicle in their custody.

    “We have taken the ambulance in our custody,” Rupnagar Deputy Superintendent of Police T S Gill said over the phone.

    The police said they got information that the ambulance bearing a registration number of Uttar Pradesh was lying abandoned on the roadside.

    Ansari, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA from Mau who is wanted in Uttar Pradesh for various cases, was ferried in the ambulance from the Rupnagar jail to a Mohali court in connection with a 2019 case of extortion.

    Amid tight security arrangements, Ansari was taken to the court on a wheelchair.

    He was sent back to the Rupnagar jail, where he is lodged since January 2019, in the ambulance after the court appearance.

    A case was registered in Uttar Pradesh’s Barabanki after the documents of the ambulance were found to be fake, the Uttar Pradesh police had said.

    The FIR was registered under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 420 (forgery), 471 (fraudulently or dishonestly using documents as genuine), 467 (forgery of valuable security) and 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating).

    Amid a row over the issue, a Punjab police official had clarified that an inmate can be transported in a private ambulance on medical grounds and the cost of conveyance has to be borne by the prisoner.

    According to the Punjab Prisoners (Attendance in Court) Rules, 1969, police can allow a private vehicle on the request of a prisoner, the official had said.

    The Supreme Court recently directed the Punjab government to hand over the custody of Ansari to the Uttar Pradesh police, saying it was being denied on trivial grounds under the guise of medical issues.

    The apex court had also said a convict or an undertrial prisoner, who disobeys the law of the land, cannot oppose his transfer from one prison to another and the courts are not to be helpless bystanders when the rule of law is being challenged with impunity.

    The court had said Ansari’s custody be handed over to the Uttar Pradesh police within two weeks so as to lodge him in the Banda district jail.

  • UP Police forms SIT to probe fake papers of ambulance that ferried Mukhtar Ansari to court

    By PTI
    BARABANKI: A special investigation team (SIT) has been set up by the Uttar Pradesh Police to further probe into the issue of fake documents of the ambulance which was used to ferry gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari from a Punjab jail to a Mohali court recently.

    Barabanki Superintendent of Police Yamuna Prasad on Sunday said the SIT has been constituted under the additional superintendent of police (north).

    “Some members of the SIT, under the SHO of Haidargarh, have been sent to Punjab. Others have been sent to Mau (in Uttar Pradesh). They will deliberate on various points and will also speak to Dr Alka Rai, whose name was given for the registration of the ambulance.

    “The SIT will also try to look for the ambulance and its driver. Efforts will also be made to ascertain as to under whose orders the ambulance ferried Ansari from the jail,” the superintendent of police said.

    Amid a row over this issue, a Punjab police official has clarified that an inmate can be transported in a private ambulance on medical grounds and the cost of conveyance has to be borne by the prisoner.

    On April 2, a case was registered in Barabanki after the documents of the ambulance bearing UP registration number were found to be fake.

    Ansari, the BSP MLA from Mau, who is wanted in Uttar Pradesh for various cases, was on March 31 produced before the Mohali court in connection with an alleged 2019 extortion matter.

    Amid tight security arrangements, Ansari was taken to court in a wheelchair.

    He was sent back to Punjab’s Rupnagar jail, where he is lodged since January 2019, in an ambulance after the appearance.”

    After an initial probe, the name and address given for the registration of the ambulance were found to be false.

    An FIR in this regard has been registered by an additional road transport officer against Dr Alka Rai, whose name was given for the registration of the ambulance,” a senior police official said in Barabanki.

    An FIR was registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 420 (forgery), 471 (fraudulently or dishonestly using documents as genuine), 467 (forgery of valuable security) and 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating).

    SP Yamuna Prasad had said that acting on media reports that Ansari was produced in a court in Punjab on an ambulance with the registration number of Barabanki, police teams probed the matter and found that documents such as PAN, electoral photo id card and others were fake.

    The address on which these documents were made was also found to be wrong, he said.

    However, the Punjab police official had said that if an inmate has any medical condition, then he can be taken in a private ambulance subject to due diligence by the security in-charge.

    The cost of conveyance has to be borne by the prisoner, he had said.

    According to the Punjab Prisoners (Attendance in Court) Rules, 1969, the police team can allow a private vehicle on the request of a prisoner, the official added.

    It was also clarified that ambulance in which Ansari was taken to the court on March 31, was not a bullet-proof vehicle.

    The Supreme Court had recently directed the Punjab government to hand over the custody of Ansari to the Uttar Pradesh Police, saying it was being denied on trivial grounds under the guise of medical issues.

    The apex court had also said that a convict or an undertrial prisoner, who disobeys the law of the land, cannot oppose his transfer from one prison to another and the courts are not to be helpless bystanders when the rule of law is being challenged with impunity.

    The court had said the custody of Ansari, a BSP MLA from the Mau constituency, be handed over to Uttar Pradesh within two weeks so as to lodge him in Banda district jail in Uttar Pradesh.

  • ‘Take custody of Mukhtar Ansari by April 8’: Punjab to Yogi government

    By PTI
    CHANDIGRAH: Punjab’s home department has asked the Uttar Pradesh government to take custody of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari from Rupnagar jail by April 8.

    Ansari, who is wanted in various cases in Uttar Pradesh, has been lodged in Rupnagar district jail in connection with an alleged extortion case since January 2019.

    In a letter to the Uttar Pradesh Additional Chief Secretary (Home), the home department of Punjab asked for suitable arrangements to be made for the transfer of undertrial prisoner Ansari.

    “The said handover is to be made at district jail Rupnagar on/before April 8,” the letter stated.

    Ansari suffers from certain medical conditions and the same may be kept in mind while making arrangements for his transport from Rupnagar jail to Banda jail in UP, it said.

    The Punjab home department referred to the March 26 Supreme Court order that had directed the state government to transfer the MLA from Mau to Uttar Pradesh’s Banda jail in two weeks.

    Delivering the order, the apex court had also noted that Ansari was allegedly involved in various cases of attempt to murder, murder, cheating and conspiracy apart from offences under the Gangsters Act, lodged in Uttar Pradesh and 10 of these cases are at different stages of trial.

  • FIR lodged against medico in Mukhtar Ansari’s ambulance row

    By Express News Service
    LUCKNOW: The police in UP’s Barabanki on Friday registered an FIR against a gynaecologist, Alka Rai, in the case involving politician Mukhtar Ansari who was on Wednesday ferried in a bulletproof luxury ambulance to Mohali court from Ropar jail in Punjab for a hearing in an extortion case of 2019.

    The case was lodged on the basis of a complaint by Barabanki ARTO Pankaj Singh. “The charges against her relate to dishonesty and impersonation,” said Yamuna Prasad, Barabanki SP. The ambulance used by Ansari in Punjab had a registration number based on fake documents submitted by Dr Rai.

    Police said Ansari’s cohorts had bought the vehicle in the name of Shyam Sanjeevani Hospital from his MLA fund in 2013. They had it registered at the Barabanki RTO on documents provided by Dr Rai, but the address was wrong. The vehicle’s fitness had expired on January 31, 2017, but it was in use without renewal. 

  • Mohali court rejects Mukhtar Ansari’s plea for medical examination

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: A Mohali court has rejected a plea of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari who sought directions to jail authorities to constitute a medical board for examining him.

    The court of Judicial Magistrate 1st Class (JMIC) Amit Bakshi said the Supreme Court has already considered Ansari’s plea regarding his medical condition.

    “There is nothing on record which cab suggest that after the apex court order on March 26 there have been any fresh medical issues with the accused,” the Mohali court judge said.

    No separate order to constitute a board for treatment of the accused is required to be passed, the judge wrote in his March 31 order.

    Ansari, wanted in Uttar Pradesh for several cases, was on Wednesday produced before the Mohali court in connection with an alleged 2019 extortion matter.

    He was in a wheelchair when he was brought to the court.

    Ansari, through his counsel Raj Sumer Singh, had moved a plea in the court for directing the jail authorities to get him medically examined due to “acute ailments and medical distress”.

    The counsel had also claimed that the accused suffered “medical” emergency on March 29, 2020 and since then he has been suffering from “acute chest pain”.

    Ansari had a previous medical condition and had also suffered two major heart attacks.

    It was feared that if he was denied proper medical assistance, he might succumb to his medical ailments, it was further submitted.

    The counsel had also sought a reply from the Rupnagar jail superintendent before deciding the application.

    The counsel also mentioned in the plea while referring to the March 26 Supreme Court order that as the MLA from Mau had to travel to Uttar Pradesh, keeping in view his medical condition, he be treated through a recognized government medical hospital in Mohali by constituting a board.

    The Mohali court judge in his order said, “No reply on behalf of the jail superintendent would be required as the jail superintendent was duty bound as per law to provide appropriate medical facility to the accused as per his medical condition (if any), as per the jail manual and also to comply with the order dated March 26 of the apex court.

    ” The court also directed that as Ansari is in judicial custody in the present case, therefore, the jail superintendent, at the time of transferring the custody of the accused to UP as per directions of the apex court, will mention that he be produced through video conferencing on April 12 in the present case.

    Ansari has been lodged in Rupnagar district jail in Punjab since January 2019 in connection with an alleged extortion case.

    On March 26, the Supreme Court directed the Punjab government to hand over the custody of Ansari to the Uttar Pradesh Police, saying the custody was being denied on trivial grounds under the guise of medical issues.

    The apex court had also said that a convict or an undertrial prisoner, who disobeys the law of the land, cannot oppose his transfer from one prison to another and the courts should not be a helpless bystander when the rule of law is being challenged with impunity.

    A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan and R S Reddy had said the custody of Ansari be handed over to Uttar Pradesh within two weeks so as to lodge him in Banda District Jail in UP.

    The apex court also noted that Ansari was allegedly involved in several cases of attempt to murder, murder, cheating and conspiracy apart from offences under the Gangsters Act, which were lodged in Uttar Pradesh.

    Out of these cases, 10 are at the stages of trial.

  • Yogi Adityanath government will drag Mukhtar Ansari to Uttar Pradesh: Minister

    quot;Ansari is involved in several cases and will get punishment as per court #39;s order, quot; the minister said.

  • Mukhtar Ansari’s wife writes to President seeking security for him during transfer from Punjab to UP 

    By PTI
    LUCKNOW: The wife of jailed mafia don-turned politician Mukhtar Ansari has written to President Ram Nath Kovind urging him to ensure adequate security for him when he is transferred from Punjab to Uttar Pradesh following a Supreme Court direction.

    In her letter released to the media on Wednesday, Afshan Ansari claimed that her husband, who is a BSP MLA from Mau, is an eyewitness in a case and the accused BJP MLC is threatening to kill him in connivance with the government machinery.

    Afshan Ansari said she fears that her husband might be killed “in the guise of a fake encounter” during his transfer from Ropar jail in Punjab to Uttar Pradesh’s Banda prison.

    ​ALSO READ | Yogi govt to drop case against ex-cop who recommended POTA on Mukhtar Ansari

    According to the Supreme Court’s March 26 order, her husband has to be transferred to Uttar Pradesh’s Banda jail in two weeks.

    Ansari’s wife said she is frightened because of the past actions of some officers of the Uttar Pradesh government and is deeply concerned about the safety of his life.

    “If my husband is sent to Uttar Pradesh without fixing responsibility for the safety of his life, then surely he would be killed by creating a false story. Therefore, it is a plea to the President to order that my husband is protected,” Afshan Ansari said in the letter.

    She also urged that if it is required to produce Ansari in court, the President should order the government to arrange central security force personnel “to accompany him from prison to court and back”.

    Mukhtar Ansari has been in judicial custody since October 25, 2005 in a number of criminal cases.

    Alka Rai, the legislator wife of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai who was killed allegedly at the hands of the Mukhtar Ansari gang in 2005, had demanded that Ansari be transferred to a jail in Uttar Pradesh.

  • Uttar Pradesh MLA Mukhtar Ansari produced before Punjab court in extortion case

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: Gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, who is wanted in Uttar Pradesh for various cases, was on Wednesday produced before a Mohali court in connection with an alleged 2019 extortion matter.

    The court fixed April 12 as the next date in this case, a police official said.

    Amid tight security arrangements, Ansari was taken to court in a wheelchair.

    He was sent back to Punjab’s Rupnagar jail in an ambulance after the appearance.

    The Supreme Court had recently directed the Punjab government to hand over the custody of Ansari to the Uttar Pradesh Police, saying it was being denied on trivial grounds under guise of medical issues.

    ​ALSO READ | SAD seeks probe into Punjab’s ‘conspiracy’ of giving Mukhtar Ansari ‘political shelter’ in its jail

    The apex court had also said that a convict or an undertrial prisoner, who disobeys the law of the land, cannot oppose his transfer from one prison to another and the courts are not to be a helpless bystander when the rule of law is being challenged with impunity.

    The court had said the custody of Ansari, an MLA from Mau constituency, be handed over to Uttar Pradesh within two weeks so as to lodge him in Banda district jail in Uttar Pradesh.

    The apex court had also noted that Ansari was allegedly involved in various cases of attempt to murder, murder, cheating and conspiracy apart from offences under the Gangsters Act, lodged in Uttar Pradesh and out of them, 10 cases are at the stages of trial.

    The opposition Shiromani Akali Dal had accused the Punjab government of giving “political shelter” to Ansari by keeping him in the Rupnagar jail as a “state guest” on “trumped-up charges”.

  • SC directs Punjab govt to hand over custody of Mukhtar Ansari to Uttar Pradesh police

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Friday directed the Punjab government to hand over the custody of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, who is lodged in Rupnagar jail there, to Uttar Pradesh Police.

    A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan and R S Reddy said that the custody of Ansari, an MLA from Mau constituency, be handed over to the state of Uttar Pradesh within two weeks.

    The top court also dismissed a plea by Ansari seeking transfer of cases lodged against him in Uttar Pradesh to some other place outside the state.

    The top court delivered the verdict on the plea of Uttar Pradesh government seeking a direction to the Punjab government and Rupnagar jail authority to immediately hand over the custody of Ansari, to the district jail Banda.

    On March 4, the top court was informed by Punjab government that Yogi Adityanath-led government has got no fundamental right to seek Ansari’s transfer from Rupnagar jail to a district jail in Banda in Uttar Pradesh.

    Ansari is lodged in district jail Rupnagar in Punjab in connection with an alleged extortion case since January 2019.

    He is also accused in several cases of heinous crimes lodged in Uttar Pradesh.

    The UP government has earlier contended that Ansari has been “dodging” the judicial system and is running his alleged illegal activities from Rupnagar district jail in Punjab.

    While Uttar Pradesh had alleged in the apex court that there is “collusion” between Ansari and Punjab Police, the Amarinder Singh government has refuted these claims and raised questions over the maintainability of plea filed by the Yogi Adityanath government.

    The UP government has referred to the prison rules and said that though the state itself does not have fundamental rights, it can espouse the cause and the fundamental rights of the victims and it may assume the position of the victim.

    It said Ansari had flouted the jail manual rules and rights of the victim and the State at large cannot be overlooked and the accused cannot be allowed to jettison the fair trial.

    It had said that the top court under Article 142 can order transfer of Ansari from Punjab jail to a jail in Uttar Pradesh as around 14 and 15 cases are at final stages.

    Ansari who has also filed petition seeking transfer of his cases in UP to outside the state, had submitted that because of his political affiliation to a party in opposition, he is being targeted.

    Punjab government had said that Ansari has been unwell and central government owned PGI Chandigarh has been given him the medical certificates from time to time.

    It had that UP government has made repeated efforts to seek Ansari’s custody and it has been told by the Punjab jail authorities that Ansari has been unwell and their response has been based on medical records.

  • SC reserves order on UP govt’s plea seeking transfer of Mukhtar Ansari from Punjab jail

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its order on the petition filed by the Uttar Pradesh government seeking its direction to transfer the alleged gangster and don-turned controversial politician Mukhtar Ansari from Ropar jail in Punjab to a jail in Uttar Pradesh.

    A two-judge bench of the Apex Court, headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan and also comprising Justice R Subhash Reddy, was hearing the petition filed by the Uttar Pradesh government.

    “We reserve the order,” in the case, the bench said, after hearing detailed arguments and submissions from all the respective parties, petitioner and respondents in the case.

    Dushyant Dave, senior lawyer and former President of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) appearing for the Punjab government, said that there is sufficient medical evidence to show that the decisions taken by the jail authority are based on judicial authorities orders and is based on cogent evidence.

    “We are nothing for (to protect) Ansari. He is just a criminal like any other. There are no allegations of conspiracy in the case,” Dave said.

    “It is the Uttar Pradesh government that gave a telephone to a serious criminal, who is lodged in jail, we have nothing to do with this,” Dave said.

    “This matter is of serious significance and nature, that it may open up Pandora’s box later,” Dave said.

    He said that article 32 is not maintainable in this case, and he pleaded to the Apex Court to dismiss the petition filed by the Uttar Pradesh government which is seeking its direction to transfer the alleged UP gangster and don-turned politician, Mukhtar Ansari from Ropar Jail in Punjab to a jail in Uttar Pradesh.

    Dave further told the Apex Court that the Punjab government has mentioned in its affidavit and stated that the report on the health condition of the accused, Ansari has been prepared by a team of specialist doctors of the hospital PGI, Chandigarh, under the central government.

    Mukul Rohatgi, senior lawyer and former Attorney General (AG) appearing for Ansari, submitted to the Apex Court that the accused is appearing in all courts and even, in some cases, he had been acquitted.

    “I am a 5 times MLA,” Rohatgi said.

    “There is animosity by the state against my family. My house was destroyed and my son was arrested,” Rohatgi stated.

    Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, senior lawyer appearing for the Uttar Pradesh government, said that the state assumes the position of the accused.

    “An accused cannot be given the right to jettison the case, on the names of a fair trial,” Mehta said.

    “This present case warrants that the accused shall be shifted to another state for a fair trial,” Mehta said.

    “The respondent (Ansari) had flouted the law when in jail and outside the jail,” Mehta said.

    “He is facing more than 50 FIRs. Look at his apprehensions. I am answerable and I have a responsibility in the society,” Mehta said.

    Dave, however, intervened, and said that the accused can face the trials through video conferencing, physical hearing is not required.