Amid the row over shifting of Mukhtar Ansari, the Punjab government has written a letter to the Uttar Pradesh government, asking it to take the custody of the mafia-turned-politician from Rupnagar jail before April 8.
On the other hand, the don's brother, Afzal Ansari, has expressed apprehension over Mukhtar's safety, saying that his brother's safety is now the responsibility of the judiciary and the Yogi Adityanath government.
The two states have been at loggerheads over handing over Mukhtar Ansari to UP. The matter was eventually sorted out after the Supreme Court set aside the Punjab government's plea to allow the don to stay put at Ropar jail on medical grounds. The SC, on March 26, directed Punjab to send the under-trial back to UP.
Mukhtar Ansari is wanted in various cases in Uttar Pradesh and has been lodged in the Rupnagar district jail in Punjab since January 2019 in connection with an alleged extortion case. His detention in the jail in Punjab had hogged media limelight recently when the don was found traveling in an ambulance having the registration number of Barabanki district of UP while appearing in a court.
In a letter to UP's additional chief secretary (home), the Home Department of Punjab asked for suitable arrangements to be made for the transfer of under-trial prisoner Mukhtar Ansari.
"The handover of Mukhtar Ansari is to be made at district jail Rupnagar on/before April 8," the letter stated.
It is also stated in the letter that Mukhtar 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 Uttar Pradesh.
Afzal Ansari, who is MP from Ghazipur, told reporters that the safety of Mukhtar after he came to UP jail was of the judiciary and the Yogi Adityanath government. He demanded that the court should monitor the safety and medical facilities given to Mukhtar.
He also said that the safety of life of any citizen was the responsibility of the government. "This duty increases by twice when the prisoner is in judicial custody and by four times when the state government files a petition in the Supreme Court saying that the hearing of a case is getting affected," the MP said.
In its letter, the Punjab home department referred to the March 26 Supreme Court order that directed the state government to transfer the Bahujan Samaj party's MLA from Mau, Mukhtar Ansari, to UP's Banda jail in two weeks.
Delivering the order, the apex court had also noted that Mukhtar Ansari was allegedly involved in various cases of attempt to murder, murder, cheating and conspiracy apart from offences under the Gangsters Act, registered in Uttar Pradesh and 10 of these cases were at different stages of trial.
The Uttar Pradesh Police officials said on Sunday that they had set up a special investigation team (SIT) to further probe into the issue of fake documents of the ambulance which was used to ferry Mukhtar Ansari from the Rupnagar jail to a Mohali court recently.
A police case was registered in this connection and the probe is underway.
BSP MP Afzal Ansari said his brother had nothing to do with the ambulance case.
"The report on purchase of the ambulance by Mukhtar using his MLA Local Area Development Fund is false. Had it been the case, it could have been ascertained by going through the government documents," he said.
On April 2, a case was registered in Barabanki after the documents of the ambulance bearing a UP registration number were found to be fake.
Mukhtar Ansari was on March 31 produced before the Mohali court in connection with the alleged 2019 extortion case.
Amid tight security arrangements, Ansari was taken into the court in a wheelchair. He was sent back to Rupnagar jail in the 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.
The 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).
The address on which these documents were made was also found to be wrong, he said.
Amid the row over the issue, a Punjab police official 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, the police team can allow a private vehicle on the request of a prisoner, the official added.
It was also clarified that the ambulance in which Mukhtar Ansari was taken to the court on March 31 was not a bullet-proof vehicle.