New Delhi: Incarcerated gangster-turned-politician, Mukhtar Ansari, passed away on Thursday following a cardiac arrest, shortly after being admitted to a hospital in Uttar Pradesh’s Banda district due to health complications.
Mukhtar Ansari, a five-time MLA from eastern UP’s Mau, was involved in property business and faced 52 criminal cases in UP and other regions. He contested elections twice as a Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) candidate, with his last assembly poll participation in 2017.
After Ansari’s demise, authorities swiftly imposed prohibitory orders under CrPC Section 144 across Uttar Pradesh to maintain law and order.
Known for his involvement in the property and contract business, the criminal network of Mukhtar Ansari reportedly expanded in the 1990s across eastern Uttar Pradesh, commonly referred to as Purvanchal.
A significant figure in the region’s political landscape, Ansari faced legal battles, including acquittal in the 2005 murder case of BJP MLA Krishna Nand Rai, alongside six others, including his brother and BSP MP Afzal Ansari.
He received a life sentence in a decades-old fake arms license case in March. Despite his criminal record, Mukhtar Ansari was elected as an MLA five times from Mau, gaining popularity as a local ‘Robinhood’ figure.
Ansari’s death prompted heightened security measures in Banda, Mau, Ghazipur, and Varanasi districts, with additional police deployment and the enforcement of Section 144 to prevent large gatherings. The Samajwadi Party expressed condolences, acknowledging Ansari’s passing in a Hindi post on social media.
Mukhtar Ansari had been in custody in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab since 2005, facing over 60 pending criminal cases.
Did you know The Theorist also has a WhatsApp channel? Click here to follow us on WhatsApp
Read all the World News, Business News, Sports News, Entertainment News, Business News and Opinion here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
