With the post-mortem formalities of Mukhtar Ansari completed by a panel of five doctors and his viscera preserved, a judicial probe was ordered into the death of the gangster-turned-politician on Friday.

Sources said that the inquiry was ordered by Chief Judicial Magistrate Bhagwan Das Gupta on a letter sent by the senior superintendent of the Banda district jail, requesting appointment of an inquiry officer.

“The CJM has appointed additional chief judicial magistrate (MP-MLA court) Garima as the inquiry officer,” they said.

The sources added that the inquiry officer has been asked to complete the probe and submit the report within a month.

Meanwhile, District Magistrate Durga Shakti Nagpal has also ordered a magisterial probe into the incident.

While appointing Additional District Magistrate (Finance and Revenue) Rajesh Kumar as the inquiry officer, she has asked him to submit his detailed report within a fortnight.

It may be mentioned here that a judicial probe is ordered in all cases of deaths in judicial or police custody.

Officials said the post-mortem proceedings were videographed as per the direction.

Mukhtar Ansari’s younger son Umar, his other son Abbas'’ wife Nighat, two nephews Ibrahim, Usman, and a handful of people from Ghazipur were present in the post-mortem house during the autopsy. It took over one hour to complete the autopsy after which Mukhtar Ansari’s mortal remains were placed in the hearse and taken to Ghazipur for last rites under high security cover.

The cavalcade of 26 vehicles also included two Vajras and two ambulances.

The vehicles adjacent to Mukhtar’s body were fitted with close circuit television cameras. The body is expected to reach Ghazipur late in the night and the last rites will be performed on Saturday morning.

Mukhtar’s elder son Abbas Ansari, who is presently lodged in Kasganj district jail, had filed an application in the court seeking permission to attend his father’s burial on Saturday. The High Court, however, turned down his plea for parole to attend the burial.

Meanwhile, shops remained closed on Friday in Mohammadabad Yusufpur in Ghazipur district, the native place of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari who died of a cardiac arrest a day before. 

Mukhtar Ansari’s body will be brought to his native place for the last rites. A large number of security personnel have been deployed in the area to maintain law and order. The administration has put barricades outside his house and no one, including journalists, are allowed to enter or meet anyone in the family.

People were seen waiting for the arrival of the body of the five-time MLA, who was rushed to a hospital from the Banda jail on Thursday after his health deteriorated. Mukhtar Ansari died at the hospital during treatment.

A grave has been dug at the Ansari family’s burial ground in Kali Bagh for the last rites, said Circle Officer Atar Singh and Pawan Kumar Upadhyaya, an inspector attached to the Mohammadabad police station.

Jailed gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari died on Thursday night at a hospital in Banda. The gangster’s family has accused the authorities of administering “slow poison” to him.

Mukhtar Ansari’s son Umar Ansari claimed his father had told him that he was being given slow poison.

“My father had told us he was being subjected to slow poison. Mukhtar Ansari had informed the court through his lawyers in writing that these things are happening,” he claimed.

The top officials, however, denied the allegations of giving slow poison and claimed that truth will come out in the judicial probe.