Mukhtar Ansari denied bail in 2020 land grab case; SBSP neta allegedly occupied Govt land

In added trouble for mafia-turned politician Mukhtar Ansari, a local court in Lucknow rejected his plea on Saturday seeking bail in connection with a 2020 land grab case. Announcing his judgement, special Judge of Prohibition of Corruption Act Court Gaurav Kumar said that Mukhtar Ansari’s involvement was apparent from the police investigation and the possibility that the former BSP MLA and SBSP (Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party) leader from Uttar Pradesh would influence the witnesses during the trial cannot be ruled out.

2020 land grab case

An FIR in the alleged land grab matter was lodged on August 27, 2020, at the Hazratganj police station by local area revenue officer Surjan Lal, in which it was reportedly said that a piece of land in the Jiamau locality of Lucknow was registered in the name of Mohammad Waseem who went to Pakistan and his land was registered in the revenue records of the government as enemy property. However, the land was later grabbed allegedly by Ansari and his sons and the government was cheated of crores of rupees, according to the FIR. It is alleged that he illegally occupied the government land and thereafter got houses constructed on it after getting the map sanctioned under a conspiracy.

It is pertinent to mention that earlier a bail plea filed on behalf of Ansari claimed that he was innocent and was implicated in the land grab case because of the political rivalry.

Mukhtar Ansari booked under Gangster Act in Ambulance case

The former MLA Ansari who has several cases registered against his name was booked along with 12 others in an ambulance case. Earlier in March, the Barabanki police filed an FIR against the former mafia ambulance case pertaining to the alleged use of fake documents to register an ambulance that was used to ferry him from Ropar jail to a court in Mohali. 

In the preliminary probe, police found that documents such as voter ID cards and PAN cards submitted for registration of the ambulance were forged. A case was subsequently lodged at the Kotwali police station in Barabanki against Ansari and his associates. During the investigation, police found that forged documents of Dr Alka Rai of Shyam Sanjeevani Hospital and Research Center were used for registering the vehicle. According to the police, Ansari’s associates Rajnath Yadav and Mujahid had gone to Dr Rai to get her signatures on fake documents.

It is significant to mention that Ansari is facing more than 50 criminal cases not just in Uttar Pradesh but in other states as well. The former BSP MLA is a history-sheeter and was shifted from various jails in Ropar, Ghazipur, Mau, Agra, and Lucknow over extortion charges.