The Special MP-MLA Court in Varanasi on Monday convicted gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari for the murder of a Congress leader’s brother, Awadhesh Rai, more than 30 years ago and sentenced him to life imprisonment with fine.
President of the Prayagraj region of Congress party and brother of Awadhesh Rai, Ajay Rai, welcomed the court’s verdict.
Awadhesh Rai was shot dead on August 3, 1991 at the gate of his Lahurabir residence in Varanasi. A case was registered against Ansari and others.
The hearing in the murder case of Awadhesh Rai was completed on May 19 this year and Special Court (MP-MLA) Judge Avanish Gautam had reserved the order for June 5. The court on Monday awarded life sentence to Ansari and imposed Rs 1.20 lakh fine on him, a lawyer told reporters outside the Varanasi court.
Ansari, who is currently lodged in Banda Jail, attended the court proceeding from the jail through video conference.
Ansari faces 61 criminal cases in different states of which he has now been convicted in six. In April, he was sentenced to 10 years in jail by a court in Ghazipur under the Gangsters Act.
There was tight security in the court premises when the order was read out by the judge of the Special Court (MP-MLA). It is learnt that during the hearing of this case in June, 2022, the original case diary was found missing. Despite the efforts, the original case diary could not be found. The police registered a case against Ansari for using his influence to destroy the original copy of the case diary. The case was heard on the basis of Xerox copies of the original case diary.
In 2022, a Ghazipur court had convicted Ansari and one of his aides Bhim Singh in the Gangsters Act case registered in five matters, including the Awadhesh Rai murder case. During the last one year, Ansari was convicted in four more cases by different courts but this is for the first time that he has been sentenced to life imprisonment in any case.
Welcoming the court verdict, Ajay Rai said, “This is the end of our 32-year struggle against a notorious criminal. I, my parents, Awadhesh’s daughter and the whole family kept patience... Governments came and went and Mukhtar strengthened himself. But we did not give up. Because of our lawyers’ efforts, today the court has found Mukhtar guilty in the murder case of my brother.”
Ansari’s counsel had urged the court to consider the convict’s age while pronouncing the judgement. The lawyer said they would appeal in a higher court after going through the verdict.
Asked about the remarks of Ansari’s lawyer, Rai said, “We will fight up to the Supreme Court. We fought for 32 years and we will continue to do so.”
On August 3, 1991, Ajay Rai and his brother were standing at the gate of their house in Chetganj police station area in the morning when some assailants, including Ansari, came in a car and shot Awadhesh. Ajay Rai fired from his licensed pistol in retaliation, following which the assailants fled, leaving the car. Awadhesh was rushed to a hospital in Kabirchaura, where doctors pronounced him dead.
Ajay Rai lodged a report in this connection with the local police, naming Mukhtar Ansari, Bhim Singh, Kamlesh Singh, former MLA Abdul Kalam and Rakesh Nyayik. Mukhtar Ansari was named as a key accused in this case.
Ansari, a five-time MLA from Mau Sadar seat, did not contest the 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly election and the seat was won by his son Abbas Ansari on the ticket of Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party, which had tied up with the Samajwadi Party.
According to Special Director General (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar, “A total of 61 cases are pending against Mukhtar Ansari in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, New Delhi and other states. In Uttar Pradesh, cases are registered against Ansari in Ghazipur, Varanasi, Chandauli, Sonbhadra, Agra, Lucknow, Barabanki, Mau, Azamgarh and other districts.
“Ansari has so far been convicted in six cases — two each in Ghazipur and Lucknow, and one each in New Delhi and Varanasi,” Kumar said.
The New Delhi case in which Ansari was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment and fined Rs 5.5 lakh was registered under the Arms Act and Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA), the police officer said.
On April 29, a court in Ghazipur sentenced Ansari to 10 years in prison and his brother and BSP MP Afzal Ansari to a four-year jail term in a 2007 case registered under the Gangsters Act following the killing of the then BJP MLA Krishnanad Rai.
Ansari’s brother Afzal, sons Abbas and Omar, wife Afsha and daughter-in-law Nikhat Bano are members of his gang, Kumar said, adding the Uttar Pradesh government was taking strict action against the Ansari gang.
Action has been taken against 288 active members of the Ansari gang. Of them, 202 have been arrested, including six against whom the stringent National Security Act has been invoked while 156 have been booked under the Gangsters Act,” the police officer said.
“The state government has seized/demolished illegal properties of Ansari worth Rs 586 crore and stopped over Rs 2,100 crore illegal businesses,” he said.
