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Mukhtar Ansari, a controversial figure who straddled the worlds of crime and politics in Uttar Pradesh, passed away on Thursday after suffering a cardiac arrest in a Banda hospital. He was 63 years old. Ansari’s final days were marred by allegations from his family that he was being slowly poisoned in jail through contaminated food. As his health deteriorated, he was shuttled between jail and hospital before eventually succumbing on Thursday.
Who was Mukhtar Ansari?
Born in 1963 into the Ansari household which boasted of stalwarts like Muhammad Ahmad Ansari, a former Congress president, and Brigadier Mohammad Usman, a decorated army officer, Mukhtar seemed destined for greatness. However, he chose to rebel against his lineage’s glorious heritage by getting embroiled in the murky world of crime from a very young age. His first run-in with the law came in 1978 at the tender age of 15 over charges of criminal intimidation. This was just the start of a rapid descent into illegalities that would taint the family name for years to come.
Pradesh’s contract mafia scene. By 1986, he had become embroiled in a murder case, and the charges against him only mounted from there. At the time of his death, he faced accusations in 63 criminal cases, including 14 murders.
Mukhtar Ansari’s political career
- Despite his criminal background, Mukhtar Ansari successfully managed to establish a career in politics and was elected as an MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly) five times from Uttar Pradesh’s Mau constituency.
- His political journey began in 1996 when he first won the Mau seat, contesting on a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) ticket. He was re-elected from the same constituency in 2002 again as a BSP candidate.
- In 2007, he won the Mau seat as an Independent candidate after being denied a BSP ticket over his criminal antecedents.
- Mukhtar Ansari again won from Mau in 2012, this time on a Quami Ekta Dal ticket which was then an ally of the Samajwadi Party.
- His fifth and final election victory came in 2017 when he won the Mau seat as an Independent candidate once more.
- In 2022, with several cases against him, Ansari did not contest himself but ensured his elder son Abbas Ansari won from Mau on a Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party ticket, which was in alliance with the Samajwadi Party at the time.
So despite being an accused in dozens of heinous criminal cases over the years, Ansari demonstrated his strong political clout in eastern UP by winning as an MLA five times from 1996 to 2017, representing different parties and also as an independent candidate. His ability to cultivate this dual life of crime and politics highlighted the unholy nexus that existed in the state.
The Tightening Grip of Law
- For years, Mukhtar Ansari seemed to evade the long arm of the law despite accusations in dozens of heinous criminal cases against him.
- However, from September 2022 onwards, the courts in Uttar Pradesh began convicting and sentencing him in several cases related to murder, extortion, criminal intimidation and running criminal rackets under the state’s Gangsters Act.
- In a span of just over one year, Ansari was convicted and sentenced in eight different cases by various courts across UP.
- The punishments included life sentences for murder, 10 years of rigorous imprisonment under the Gangsters Act, and fines amounting to lakhs of rupees.
Allegations of Poisoning
- As Ansari remained lodged in Banda jail, his family members alleged that he was being systematically poisoned through contaminated food inside the prison.
- His brother Afzal Ansari, an MP from Ghazipur, claimed that Mukhtar had complained about being given “poisonous substances” mixed in his jail food on at least two occasions in a span of 40 days.
- These allegations raised concerns about the possibility of a deliberate attempt on Ansari’s life while he was in judicial custody.
The Final Days
- In the final weeks, Mukhtar Ansari’s health witnessed a sharp decline as he was repeatedly shuttled between Banda jail and the hospital.
- On March 19th, he was admitted to the hospital after complaining of abdominal pain and difficulty speaking while in prison.
- Though temporarily discharged, he had to be rushed back to the hospital soon after as his condition deteriorated further.
- Finally, on March 28th 2024, the 63-year-old breathed his last in the hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest, marking an ignominious end to a life steeped in crime and controversies.
So while Mukhtar Ansari wielded considerable political influence for years, the law finally caught up with him through a slew of convictions in the last 18 months before his ultimate demise amidst allegations of foul play inside prison walls.
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