The gangster-politician, who was lodged in Banda district jail, was rushed to Rani Durgavati Medical College as his health deteriorated reportedly after he ended his Ramzan fast.
Doctors were first called to the jail to treat him, but he was rushed to the hospital after doctor’s team suspected that he had a cardiac arrest.
He was brought to the hospital at 8.25 pm in an unconscious state. A panel of nine doctors were treating him, who later decleared that he died of cardiac arrest.
Meanwhile, section 144 imposed in whole of UP and the police have increased vigilance in Banda and other areas, including Lucknow, Kanpur, Mau, and Ghazipur. Orders have also been given to increase patrolling of the police forces in sensitive areas. Additional security personnel deployed in the Banda, Mau, Ghazipur and Varanasi districts to prevent law and order issues.
The Uttar Pradesh Police has issued prohibitory orders across the state to prevent any law and order situation.
Mukhtar Ansari’s son Umar Ansari claimed that the gangster-turned-politician was subjected to “slow poisoning” in prison. A similar claim was also made by Ansari’s brother and Ghazipur MP Afzal Ansari that Mukhtar Ansari was given poisen in food. The charge has been denied by the authorities.
A magisterial investigation into the death of Mukhtar Ansari will be conducted by a three-member team, news agency ANI reported.
Mukhtar Ansari (63) was a five-time MLA from Mau Sadar. The gangster-turned-politician had over 60 criminal cases pending against him and had been in jail in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab since 2005. He spent two years in a Punjab prison and was brought back to the Banda jail in April 2021.
He was sentenced in eight cases by by different courts in Uttar Pradesh and was lodged in the Banda jail. His name was on the list of 66 gangsters issued by Uttar Pradesh Police last year.
Ansari, who hailed from Mau, was believed to have a strong influence in the adjoining Ghazipur and Varanasi districts as well.
Mukhtar Ansari was prime accused in muder of BJP leader and former MLA Krishnanand Rai. Krishnanand was killed by Mukhtar Ansari.
Krishnanand Rai’s wife said to media, “What can I say? This is the blessing of the Almighty. I used to pray to him for justice and the justice has been served today. We never celebrated Holi after the incident (the murder), I felt that today is Holi for us,”