The notorious mafia don of Uttar Pradesh, Mukhtar Ansari, has passed away. He was taken to the hospital from Banda jail last night (March 28) after his health deteriorated, where he died during treatment. According to doctors, Mukhtar died of cardiac arrest. Mukhtar had over 60 cases against him, with the most infamous being the BJP legislator Krishnanand Rai murder case.
In 2005,
Krishnanand Rai
was brutally murdered by gunfire, along with six others in the incident. A memorial has been erected at the site of this tragic event to preserve the memories of the late Krishnanand Rai. The 'Aaj Tak' team visited the location and interacted with locals.
Source: aajtak
It is noteworthy that in the 2002 assembly elections, Krishnanand Rai had defeated Mukhtar Ansari's brother Afzal in the Muhammadabad constituency, winning the position as a BJP legislator. This marked the beginning of an enmity between Krishnanand Rai and Mukhtar Ansari. On November 29, 2005, Krishnanand Rai was scheduled to inaugurate a cricket match at Senadi village in Karimganj.
Krishnanand Rai's Assassination in 2005
Despite light rain, he left his bullet-proof vehicle for a regular one. On his return in the evening, he was ambushed and sprayed with bullets from AK-47s at Usri Chatti. Nearly 400 rounds were fired at him. Krishnanand and six others were killed in this gruesome attack, with over 60 bullets extracted from his body.
Mukhtar, while in prison, was made the chief accused in the case, accused of orchestrating the murder to settle scores. However, after a CBI investigation, Mukhtar was acquitted by a special court. Yet, he was found guilty in a gangster case, sentenced to 10 years with a fine.
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Following Krishnanand Rai's assassination, the Purvanchal region was set ablaze with violence. Buses were torched and public properties damaged. Senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh led a protest against the Mulayam government, resulting in the case being handed over to the CBI and then transferred to Delhi.
A Memorial at the Site of Krishnanand Rai's Murder
Interestingly, a single-roadside memorial has been erected at the site of Krishnanand's assassination. The memorial, titled 'Shahid Stambh,' lists the names of those killed in the November 29, 2005 incident, including Krishnanand Rai, Shyamashankar Rai, Sheshnath Patel, Akhilesh Rai, Ramesh Narayan Rai, Nirmay Narayan Upadhyay, and Munna Yadav. This memorial was inaugurated on November 29, 2006, by then BJP national president Rajnath Singh.
A nearby resident mentioned that the time was filled with fear. Around 3 PM, the sound of gunfire terrified the locals. Another person recalled, 'I was young, but I heard from family that the gunfire continued for a long time.' The area where the memorial stands is in Basniya village along the Kotwa Narayanpur road.
Reactions from Krishnanand's Ancestral Village
The residents of Krishnanand Rai's ancestral village, Godaur, expressed joy at Mukhtar's death. They said the end of the mafia marks the end of an era of fear. They also thanked the state government. A villager reminisced about the 2005 incident, saying, 'Initially, we couldn't comprehend what was happening. There was chaos, cars coming and going, and senior officials arriving. Later we found out that the legislator had been killed.'
Following the mafia's death, several districts in the state have been put on alert. Strong security measures have been implemented in sensitive areas, deploying a large police force from Banda to Ghazipur and Mau, with paramilitary forces also on standby.
