Freedom fighter’s grandson, gangster politician
*Rutless gangster *5 times MLA *Controversial criminal’s chapter ends
Banda, Mar 29:
Jailed gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari died after he suffered a heart attack in Uttar Pradesh’s Banda. The 60-year-old politician’s health condition deteriorated after he broke his Ramzan fast, jail authorities said.
A five-time MLA from Mau in Uttar Pradesh, Mukhtar Ansari had over 60 cases pending against him and he was lodged in Banda district jail.
Controversy erupted over the death of jailed gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari after his son claimed that the former MLA was subjected to “slow poisoning” in prison. Ansari (60), who has been in prison since 2005, died of cardiac arrest in Uttar Pradesh’s Banda .
He was brought to the Rani Durgavati Medical College in Banda from the district jail in “an unconscious state” at nearly 8.25 pm Ansari was hospitalised for around 14 hours on Tuesday after he complained of abdominal pain.
Ansari was in jail from 2005 in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab states for one or the other criminal case. In April 2023, he was convicted and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for killing BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai by an MP MLA court.
Mukhtar Ansari was handed a life sentence on 13 March 2024 in connection with a fake arm license case.
Born into a family with deep roots in India’s struggle for independence, Ansari’s descent into the underworld marked a stark departure from his illustrious lineage.
Born in 1960 in Uttar Pradesh’s Yusufpur, Mukhtar Ansari’s journey from the alleys of crime to the corridors of power was as controversial as it was captivating.
He was born into a family renowned for its contributions to India’s freedom movement and post-independence political landscape. His paternal grandfather, Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari, was a prominent figure in the Indian National Congress and served as its president in 1927.
Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari was also involved with the Muslim League before distancing himself due to its separatist agenda. He also served as the Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia, a position he held until his death in 1936.
On the maternal side, Brigadier Mohammad Usman, Mukhtar Ansari’s grandfather, was a decorated officer in the Indian Army. He made the ultimate sacrifice in the Nowshera sector of Jammu and Kashmir during a conflict with Pakistan in 1948, earning the Maha Vir Chakra posthumously.Despite the noble legacy, Mukhtar Ansari chose a path markedly different. His criminal career began in the 1980s amidst the lawlessness of Purvanchal, a region notorious for its criminal gangs vying for government contracts.
Ansari’s first brush with serious crime was linked to the murder of Sachchidanand Rai in 1988 over a land dispute in Ghazipur. This marked the beginning of a long and dark journey that saw him embroiled in gang wars, notably against rival mafia Brijesh Singh, and implicated in the murders of Kapil Dev Singh in April 2009, contractor Ajay Prakash Singh in August 2009, and Ram Singh Maurya.
Also during that period he too had to face many violent confrontations, including an ambush on his convoy in 2002 that left three of his men dead and sparked further bloodshed in the region.
Despite his notoriety, Ansari transitioned into politics, leveraging his influence to secure a seat as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the Mau constituency five times, beginning in 1996.
While he was seen by some as a Robin Hood figure, others viewed him through the lens of his criminal activities.
His tenure in politics included affiliations with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), where he was portrayed as a messiah of the poor, and later, the formation of the Quami Ekta Dal (QED) with his brothers after being expelled from the BSP.
