Mukhtar Ansari given VVIP treatment in Punjab jail during Congress regime: Probe finds

A probe committee constituted by the Punjab government has found that VVIP treatment was given to gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari while he was lodged in the state's Rupnagar jail. As per sources, the investigation team has gathered enough evidence to prove that Ansari was provided special treatment in prison during the previous Congress regime.

The incumbent AAP government has decided to take action against Ansari and officials involved in the matter.

Back in June, Punjab minister Harjot Singh Bains had accused the previous Congress government of providing “VIP treatment” to Mukhtar Ansari when he was lodged at Rupnagar jail, which led to heated exchanges between him and leader of opposition Partap Singh Bajwa.

AAP minister accuses Congress of protecting Ansari

Bains, the mines and geology and jails minister, had raised the matter during the recent budget session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha. He alleged that Ansari was kept in Rupnagar jail for two years and three months based on a "fake" FIR lodged against him. The minister said the Uttar Pradesh government had to move the Supreme Court to get Ansari's custody.

He further said senior lawyers were engaged to “save” Ansari by the then Congress government and the fee of a lawyer was Rs 11 lakh for appearing in the case. He also claimed a bill of Rs 55 lakh on account of the fee of the advocates.

“Why should we give the bill of Rs 55 lakh for keeping a gangster? I have ordered for registration of FIR in the case,” Bains had said.

Leader of Opposition and Congress MLA Partap Singh Bajwa, however, objected to raising this issue during the budget discussion.

The custody of Mukhtar Ansari was handed over to the Uttar Pradesh police in April last year to transfer him to Banda prison. Ansari was kept at Punjab's Rupnagar jail where he had been lodged since January 2019 in connection with an extortion case.

The Supreme Court had directed the Punjab government to hand over the custody of Ansari to the Uttar Pradesh police, saying the same was being denied on trivial grounds under the guise of medical issues.

(With inputs from agency)