GHAZIPUR, April 29, 2023 (TBINN)
A court of Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh today sentenced gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari and his brother, a Bahujan Samaj Party’s M.P. Afzal Ansari to imprisonment for 10 years and four years, respectively in a 2007 Gangsters Act case. The court of Additional Sessions Judge /First M.P.-M.L.A. Court Durgesh also imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on Mukhtar and Rs 1 lakh on Afzal, A.D.G.C. Criminal Neeraj Srivastava said. Afzal, a Bahujan Samaj Party (B.S.P.) M.P. from Ghazipur parliamentary constituency, was produced in the court, while his brother Mukhtar attended the proceedings via video conferencing.
The verdict can lead to Afzal losing his Lok Sabha membership. According to the Representation of the People Act, any member will be disqualified, if convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for two years or more.
Notably, on 22 November 2007, a case was filed under the Gangsters Act against the Ansari brothers at Muhammadabad Kotwali Police Station.
On 23 September 2022, prima facie charges were framed against the two. After hearing the arguments of both the sides, the court reserved its decision which was pronounced today.
Mukhtar is presently lodged in Banda Jail. He had been M.L.A. for five consecutive terms from Mau Sadar Assembly Seat in neighbouring Mau District of Uttar Pradesh.
The gangster-turned-politician did not contest 2022 Assembly elections and his seat was won by his son Abbas Ansari.
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