Following the demise of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari due to a cardiac arrest at a hospital in Uttar Pradesh, his family has come forward with allegations of poisoning during his incarceration in jail. Ansari, who had been held in jails in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab since 2005, passed away after falling unconscious in the district jail and subsequently suffering a cardiac arrest.
According to Ansari’s family, this wasn’t the first instance of alleged poisoning. They asserted that Ansari had previously been given a poisonous substance in his food while in prison, with the most recent incident occurring on March 19, leading to a deterioration in his health. His brother Afzal Ansari and son Umar expressed their concerns, stating that they would seek legal recourse and approach the judiciary to address the matter.
Security measures were heightened outside the hospital following Ansari’s death, and prohibitory orders were enforced across the state to maintain law and order. An autopsy is scheduled to be conducted at Banda Medical College Hospital to ascertain the cause of Ansari’s death.
Earlier incidents of hospitalization were attributed to Ansari’s deteriorating health during Ramadan fasting and a fall in the washroom, as reported by the prison department. Ansari, a five-time former MLA from Mau, had a significant criminal record, facing numerous cases, including murder charges. He held influence in the Ghazipur-Mau-Varanasi region of eastern Uttar Pradesh through his alleged involvement in criminal activities.
Having started as a member of a gang in the 1980s, Ansari later established his own criminal syndicate, engaging in extortion and kidnapping primarily across Mau, Ghazipur, Varanasi, and Jaunpur districts. His death has brought renewed attention to the circumstances of his imprisonment and the allegations of mistreatment during his time in custody.