New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh legislator Mukhtar Ansari, an accused in the: 2005 murder case of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai, has been denied bail by a Delhi court which cited "gravity of offence" and "apprehension" faced by witnesses as the reasons.
"Considering the nature of evidence which has been brought on record by the prosecution, gravity of offence and the apprehension faced by the witnesses on account of which the trial has been transferred to Delhi, I find no merit to admit accused Mukhtar Ansari on bail. The application is accordingly dismissed," special CBI judge Anoop Kumar Mendiratta said.
Ansari, who is likely to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha election against BJP`s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi from Varanasi on a Quami Ekta Dal ticket, had sought bail on the ground of parity saying co-accused Afzal Ansari has already been enlarged on bail by the Allahabad High Court while some other accused have also been granted bail earlier.
The defence counsel also argued that Ansari has been in custody since December 2005 and CBI has not probed the case in a fair manner.
The CBI, however, opposed the bail plea apprehending that the witnesses may be intimidated or influenced if the accused was enlarged on bail at this stage.
A sitting legislator from Mau constituency, Ansari is also facing trial here in a separate case under Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) for being a member of an organised crime syndicate run by his co-accused Prem Prakash alias Munna Bajrangi.
The Special Cell of Delhi Police had arrested Bajrangi in October 2009 for allegedly threatening South Delhi businessman Ashok Tebriwal to extort Rs one crore after it intercepted their telephonic conversation.
The police had later lodged an FIR against Ansari, who is said to be close to Bajrangi, after it found that he was also allegedly a part of the organised crime syndicate.
The 2005 murder case was transferred from Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh to Delhi by the Supreme Court last year on a plea filed by Alka Rai, wife of Krishnanand Rai.
