New Delhi: Gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari passed away from a heart attack on Thursday evening. He had been admitted to Banda Medical College after his health deteriorated.
Earlier, Ansari had been hospitalised for abdominal pain while in prison, but he was discharged on the same day after his condition stabilised. Afzal Ansari, his brother, alleged that Mukhtar had been poisoned while in jail.
Ansari had served as a five-time MLA from the Mau Sadar constituency and had been in custody in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab since 2005. He faced over 60 criminal cases and had been convicted in eight cases since September 2022 by various Uttar Pradesh courts, leading to his detention in Banda jail.
Reacting to his death, Samajwadi Party posted on X in Hindi, “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 sorrow. Humble tribute.”
पूर्व विधायक श्री मुख्तार अंसारी जी का इंतकाल, दुःखद।
ईश्वर उनकी आत्मा को शांति दें।
शोकाकुल परिजनों को यह असीम दुःख सहने का संबल प्राप्त हो।
विनम्र श्रद्धांजलि !
— Samajwadi Party (@samajwadiparty) March 28, 2024
Terming the death as “institutional murder”, former MP Pappu Yadav took to X and said, “The Institutional murder of former legislator Mukhtar Ansari is like burying Law, constitution, natural justice”.
पूर्व विधायक मुख़्तार अंसारी जी की
सांस्थानिक हत्याक़ानून, संविधान, नैसर्गिक न्याय को
दफन कर देने जैसा है।
— Pappu Yadav (@pappuyadavjapl) March 28, 2024
“Today Mukhtar Ansari’s death in the jail raises a big question BJP-led UP Government…This should be investigated thoroughly so that everyone gets to know what is going on,” Congress leader Surendra Rajput told ANI.
#WATCH | On the death of Gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari after suffering a cardiac arrest, Congress leader Surendra Rajput says, “Today Mukhtar Ansari’s death in the jail raises a big question BJP-led UP Government…This should be investigated thoroughly so that… pic.twitter.com/SQzlRHPlc7
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) March 28, 2024
Former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav wrote, “Sad news was received about the demise of former UP MLA Shri Mukhtar Ansari. We pray to God to grant peace to the departed soul and strength to the bereaved family to bear the loss. A few days ago he had complained that he had been poisoned in jail, yet it was not taken seriously. Prima facie this does not seem justifiable and humane. Constitutional institutions should take suo motu cognizance of such cases.”
यूपी से पूर्व विधायक श्री मुख्तार अंसारी के इंतकाल का दुःखद समाचार मिला। परवरदिगार से प्रार्थना है कि दिवंगत आत्मा को शांति तथा शोकाकुल परिजनों को दुःख सहने की शक्ति प्रदान करें।
कुछ दिन पूर्व उन्होंने शिकायत की थी कि उन्हें जेल में जहर दिया गया है फिर भी गंभीरता से नहीं लिया…
— Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) March 28, 2024
According to his last election affidavit filed in 2017, Ansari disclosed movable and immovable assets valued at Rs 21 crore, including assets held under the names of his dependents. Additionally, he declared having 16 self-reported criminal cases against him.
He left behind his wife and their three children after the incident.
