Once a prominent mafia figure in Uttar Pradesh, Mukhtar Ansari breathed his last on Thursday. His health took a sudden turn for the worse in Banda Jail, and he was swiftly taken to a medical college. After about an hour of efforts, he was declared deceased by the medical professionals. His death has prompted the police across the state to switch to high alert. Ansari was implicated in no less than 61 criminal cases ranging from murder, kidnap, fraud, the Goonda Act, and even the National Security Act, with convictions already in 8 cases.
Ansari had been incarcerated for years following multiple sentences. One infamous case shook the then Mulayam Singh government, where Ansari disposed a controversial case using his influence. Further, a police officer who attempted to charge him under POTA for dealing in LMGs was forced to resign.
The inception of the entire saga
The tale begins in 2004. Former DSP Shailendra Singh, then the STF Chief in Varanasi, was assigned to monitor the looming gang war between Mukhtar Ansari and BJP leader Krishnanand Rai. In an interview, Singh revealed, "Both belonged to Purvanchal yet were sworn enemies, and I too hail from Purvanchal. This was why I was sent to keep a vigilant eye on them."
Ansari plotted to eliminate MLA Krishnanand Rai
In 2002, Krishnanand Rai defeated five-term MLA Mukhtar Ansari, which did not sit well with him. His intention was to eliminate Rai, and this led to frequent gang wars between the two. DSP Shailendra Singh began tapping their phones to monitor their activities and was taken aback upon discovering that Ansari was negotiating to purchase a Light Machine Gun (LMG) as part of his nefarious plans.
In 2004, a 1 crore deal to purchase an LMG was orchestrated
Ansari had plotted as early as January 2004 to assassinate Rai using an LMG stolen from the army, and a deal was nearly settled for the theft. The intercepted phone conversations revealed discussions with a criminal promising the delivery of an LMG, stolen from the National Rifles, for nearly one crore rupees.
Mulayam Singh had the case dismissed
Ansari was well aware of his influence at that time—his political leverage was crucial for the government. He got the case against him dropped by using his connections, despite severe charges such as the illegal possession of arms under POTA.
Insurmountable pressure on DSP Shailendra Singh
Subsequent to the case revelations and weapon recovery, the police team's morale was significantly boosted, believing that Ansari's reign was finally coming to an end. However, immense pressure was exerted on Singh to drop the case. This eventually led Singh, amidst heavy duress, to resign from his position. Following his resignation, numerous fraudulent cases were lodged against him, and he faced prolonged harassment for 17 years—until all charges were dropped following a court order in March 2021 with the change to the Yogi government.
