Once a powerful figure in UP, Mukhtar Ansari passed away after sudden illness in Banda Jail on Thursday. Following the postmortem on Friday, the body was handed over to his family. Ansari will be laid to rest on Saturday in a cemetery in Mohammadabad. DIG Varanasi Range, Omprakash Singh, the District Magistrate Aryaka Akhouri, and SP Omveer Singh have inspected the cemetery with a police force. Ansari’s grave is to be dug next to his father Subhan Ullah Ansari's resting place, and he will be laid to rest in the presence of his family.
The burial of Mukhtar Ansari will take place at 10 AM today in the Kalibagh Cemetery, as informed by his nephew and lawmaker Suhail Ansari on social media. Abbas Ansari approached the Supreme Court to attend his father Mukhtar's funeral. Since the Supreme Court is on recess today, Abbas Ansari’s lawyer has contacted the SC vacation officer seeking an urgent hearing of the plea. However, there seems to be no possibility for a hearing tonight. It is unlikely that Abbas, who is in prison, would be able to attend. Similarly, there seems to be no chance of Mukhtar's wife, Afshan Ansari, attending as she is absconding, facing 11 registered cases against her.
The body escorted with heavy security
Mukhtar’s body was sent to Ghazipur under heavy police protection, escorted by a fleet of police vehicles. The convoy included several police cars. To ensure a smooth journey, police had already planned the route, which led from Banda through Chitrakoot, Kaushambi, and Bhadohi to Ghazipur. The convoy featured armoured vehicles, ambulances, and a dozen police cruisers, led by a Deputy SP.
Son Umar demanded a postmortem at AIIMS
Umar Ansari, Mukhtar's son, had written to the Banda District Magistrate, insisting the postmortem be conducted by AIIMS Delhi doctors, expressing distrust in the local medical facilities. The postmortem had not yet started, and his letter clearly lays out his demands, Umar stated.
Shops closed in sympathy
Since Friday morning, people began gathering at Ansari's residence in Mohammadabad, Yusufpur. The councillor of ward number 25 in Lohatiya, Sanjeev Kumar Gihar said, no call for a shutdown was given, but shops remained closed out of sympathy. 'As you sow, so shall you reap,' he said, reflecting on his personal discord with Ansari. Political rivals have sharply reacted to Ansari's death with phrases like 'you reap what you sow' and 'justice has been served'.
