Mukhtar Ansari dies of cardiac arrest

BANDA/LUCKNOW: Jailed gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari has died of a cardiac arrest after being hospitalised earlier in the day on Thursday. The five-time former MLA from Mau in Uttar Pradesh had been lodged in jail in the state and in Punjab since 2005.

A medical bulletin said the 63-year-old, who was lodged in a jail in UP’s Banda, died around 8.25 pm on Thursday. He was taken to the Rani Durgavati Medical College in the district by jail authorities after his health deteriorated. It said he had complained of vomiting and was unconscious when he was taken to the hospital.

“The patient was provided immediate medical care by a team of nine doctors. But, despite their best efforts, the patient died due to a cardiac arrest,” the bulletin, which was in Hindi, said.

A large team of police personnel was deployed outside the hospital shortly after Ansari was taken there and prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) were imposed across Uttar Pradesh following his death, according to agency reports.

Additional deployment of police personnel has also been made in Banda, Mau, Ghazipur and Varanasi districts, Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police Prashant Kumar said.

“Teams of Central Reserve Police Force have been deployed along with local police in these districts,” the DGP said.

The social media cell of the Uttar Pradesh Police has also been activated to keep a close watch on unlawful elements online, he said.

Ansari had also been hospitalised in the early hours of Tuesday and discharged after nearly 14 hours. Ansari’s brother, Ghazipur MP Afzal Ansari, had claimed that the gangster-turned-politician was being given a “poisonous substance” in jail.

“Mukhtar said that he was given a poisonous substance in his food in jail. This happened for the second time. He was given poison around 40 days ago as well. And, recently, on March 19 or March 22, he was again given this (poison) due to which his condition is bad,” Afzal Ansari had been quoted as having alleged in media reports.

The prison department had, however, said Ansari’s health had deteriorated and he had fallen in the washroom before being taken to the hospital around 3.45 am on Tuesday.

“Due to the sudden deterioration in the health of prisoner Mukhtar Ansari and falling in the toilet in the night, he was immediately given treatment by the jail doctor. After informing the district administration, a team of doctors was called by which the prisoner was referred to the medical college in the night itself,” a statement by the prison administration had said.

Ansari, who hailed from Mau, was believed to have strong influence in adjoining Ghazipur and Varanasi districts as well. He has over 60 criminal cases pending against him. He has been sentenced in eight cases since September 2022 by different courts of UP and was lodged in the

Banda jail. His name was on the list of 66 gangsters issued by Uttar Pradesh Police last year. His family members had earlier expressed apprehension that Mukhtar Ansari could be killed in a fake encounter.

The Samajwadi Party condoled Ansari’s death.

“Sad demise of former MLA Shri Mukhtar Ansari. May his soul rest in peace. May the bereaved family members get the strength to bear this immense loss. Humble tribute,” the party said in a post in Hindi on X.

Another gangster and mafia don turned politician Atiq Ahmad, a former MP, who hailed from Prayagraj and was in police custody, was shot dead on April 15, 2023, along with his brother by assailants when he was being taken for a medical check up in Prayagraj. His son was also killed in an encounter by the police.