UP: Police arrest Mukhtar Ansari’s son Umar from lawmaker’s residence in Lucknow

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Police arrested Umar Ansari, the younger son of jailed gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, from a government legislator’s residence in Lucknow late Sunday night.

The arrest was made by a team from Ghazipur Police, which traced Umar’s location to Darulshafa, a housing complex meant for current and former lawmakers.

Umar Ansari was taken into custody from the residence of his elder brother Abbas Ansari, an MLA from the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP).

The Darulshafa complex is home to several high-profile politicians, making the arrest a significant development in the ongoing crackdown against the Ansari family.

Police sources said Umar allegedly forged the signature of his mother, Afshan Ansari, a fugitive with a bounty of Rs 1 lakh on her head, to file a plea in court seeking the release of assets seized under the Gangster Act.

Investigators believe the move was part of a larger attempt to reclaim the family’s frozen properties.

Umar was immediately taken to Ghazipur, where he will be formally interrogated, and legal procedures including a court appearance will follow.

Though the police have yet to issue an official statement, sources indicated a press conference is expected Monday to provide further details on the case and Umar’s alleged role. The arrest has sent ripples through the Ansari camp and their supporters.

In a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Abbas Ansari confirmed the development, stating, “At 10:40 pm tonight,

some policemen took away my younger brother Umar Ansari from our residence at Darulshafa.”

Umar’s arrest adds another layer to the widening probe into the Ansari family’s finances and alleged illegal dealings. His father Mukhtar Ansari, a former MLA with a long criminal history, is currently lodged in Banda jail and faces multiple cases under the Gangster Act and other serious charges.