'Sacrifice to end dictatorship', claims Mukhtar Ansari's brother if don 'killed' enroute

As 150 Uttar Pradesh police officers escort gangster-turned-politician BSP MLA Mukhtar Ansari from Punjab's Ropar jail to UP's Banda jail on Tuesday, his brother Afzal Ansari has expressed fears for his life adding 'Hope SC ensures those in power don't kill him'. Claiming that if such a thing happens, he said Mukhtar's life will be 'sacrificed to end dictatorial govt'. Ansari - a serial chargesheeter is being transported back to UP after the SC ordered Punjab to hand over him within 2 weeks.

Ansari's brother: 'If Mukhtar is killed...'

"Their intention is not right. In the same Banda jail (where Mukhtar Ansari is being shifted), he was given poison in tea. We have full faith in the judiciary. We have moved a plea to provide medical facilities to him. I am hopeful that Supreme Court will ensure that those in power don't kill someone. In a public rally, BJP state president announces -- 'gaadi UP ke kis border pe paltegi, ye nahi bataunga'. A minister says -- 'gaadi to palat ke rahegi'," said Ansari adding, " If such a thing happens, I will consider that Mukhtar has been sacrificed for the end of the dictatorial govt."

UP police escort Ansari

Gangster turned politician Mukhtar Ansari has left Punjab's Rupnagar jail and is en route to Banda via greater Noida. Visuals of the Uttar Pradesh Police convoy transporting the gangster have been accessed by Republic TV. A UP police team of 150 personnel had been sent to Punjab, to bring Ansari back to Uttar Pradesh, where he is facing trial in several cases. The gangster turned BSP MLA is most likely to reach the destination on Wednesday morning and will be lodged in barrack number 15 of the district jail, according to a PTI report quoting a police official. A Mohali court recently rejected Ansari's plea seeking directions to jail authorities to constitute a medical board for examining him, when he was produced in court for an extortion matter.

SC: Transfer Ansari to UP govt

On March 26, the Supreme Court directed the Punjab government to hand over the custody of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari to the Uttar Pradesh Police. He will be transferred from Punjab's Ropar Jail to the Banda Jail in UP where he will be extended the requisite medical facilities. The BSP MLA was lodged in a UP jail as an undertrial when the Punjab Police obtained a production warrant against him on a complaint of extortion and criminal intimidation and brought him to Punjab. 

Ansari is a history-sheeter in Mohammadabad police station of Ghazipur district with 38 cases of heinous crime lodged against him - including the murder case of BJP MLA Krishna Nand Rai in 2005. As per reports, before being shifted to Punjab, he has stayed at various jails such as Ghazipur, Mau, Agra, Lucknow, and Banda jail. He was shifted to Punjab's Ropar jail after Homeland Group CEO accused him of extortion in 2019, on a govt warrant. Since then Punjab prisons dept has refused to send Ansari back for court appearances claiming that a panel of doctors has “advised Ansari against long travel”, as per reports. BJP MLA Alka Rai - slain MLA Krishna Nand Rai's wife has written to Priyanka Gandhi, accusing Congress of shielding Ansari, while the gangster's wife has written to President Kovind seeking security while Ansari is shifted. Recently, UP police shot down Ansari's close aide Hanuman Pandey.