UP polls: Mukhtar Ansari's parole plea rejected by Delhi HC, barred from campaigning

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed the parole plea of gangster-turned-politician and Mau MLA Mukhtar Ansari. 

A bench headed by Justice Mukta Gupta today pronounced its decision on the Election Commission’s plea for cancelling Ansari’s custody parole granted by a trial court for canvassing in the assembly polls. 

Ansari is contesting the polls from Mau Sadar constituency on a BSP ticket.

On February 16, a special court had granted custody parole to Ansari from February 16 and till March 4 to campaign for state assembly elections.

A day later, i.e. on Februar 17, the Election Commission moved the Delhi high court seeking cancellation of Ansari’s parole — granted by a special court in Delhi — on the ground that he may influence witnesses in the 2005 murder case of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai, in which he is facing trial. 

"We prayed the court to quash the special court order giving parole custody to Mukhtar Ansari on legal and merit grounds. Since Mukhtar is not a convicted prisoner, hence giving parole custody is against parole guidelines. We also brought in notice of court that Mukhtar has long criminal history and for fair trial of the Krishnanand Rai murder case, the Supreme Court had transferred the case from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi," EC's standing counsel Amit Sharma, who was present in the court was quoted as saying by Indian Express. 

BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai, along with six supporters, was shot dead in Bhanwarkol area in Ghazipur district on November 29, 2005. 

The case was transferred from Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur to Delhi by the Supreme Court in 2013 on a plea filed by Alka Rai, wife of Rai. 

Mukhtar Ansari, a four-time MLA from Mau Sadar, is in jail since 2005. He has more than 40 criminal cases against him, including murder and kidnapping.