Who is Mukhtar Ansari? Gangster-turned-politician facing several charges of heinous crimes

Mukhtar Ansari is allegedly involved in various cases of attempt to murder, murder, cheating and conspiracy apart from offences under the Gangsters Act. Ten of these cases notably are at different stages of the trial.

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New Delhi: Mukhtar Ansari is a gangster-turned-politician who is Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) legislator from Mau. He is accused in several heinous crimes and is currently lodged in jail.

He was handed over to Uttar Pradesh Police by its Punjab counterparts for taking him back to a jail in Banda district by road.

The Supreme Court had on March 26 asked the Punjab government to hand over Ansari to Uttar Pradesh Police within two weeks, ignoring pleas of the former.

A medical check-up of Ansari, comprising a coronavirus test, was done before handing over to the Uttar Pradesh police.

Mukhtar Ansari is allegedly involved in various cases of murder, attempt to murder, cheating and conspiracy apart from offences under the Gangsters Act. Ten of these cases notably are at different stages of the trial.

He was sent to judicial custody in Punjab in an extortion-threat case, but he did not apply for bail despite having been entitled to 'default bail' as the statutory 90-day period has lapsed.

Ansari also opposed being shifted to Uttar Pradesh, where the state Police has registered 38 cases of heinous crime at a single police station in the Ghazipur district.

The BSP leader has previously been lodged in several jails including Lucknow, Ghazipur, and Mau.

The five-time BSP MLA from Mau has avoided 26 warrants issued by the Prayagraj court citing medical grounds.

His grandfather, Dr Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari, was the president of the Indian National Congress in 1927–28.

His maternal grandfather Brigadier Mohammad Usman Ansari was a Mahavir Chakra awardee. He was also called as ‘Lion of Nowshera’.

His son Abbas Ansari is a national-level Indian shooter who has won medals and accolades internationally.