Mukhtar Ansari strikes fear in minds of people; tragedy such people become law makers: Allahabad High Court denies bail

The Allahabad High Court recently refused to grant bail to former Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Mukhtar Ansari in Barabanki ambulance case [Mukhtar Ansari v. State of UP]..Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh denied bail noting that, accused-applicant MLA commands unparalleled fear in the minds and hearts of the people and could tamper with evidence if released on bail."The accused-applicant commands un-parallel fear in the minds and hearts of the people that no one dares to challenge him and his men and his politics. If the accused-applicant is enlarged on bail, the apprehension of the prosecution that he would tamper with the evidence and influence the witnesses, cannot be ruled out," the Court said.The Court also lamented that it was tragic that criminals like Ansari became law-makers."It is irony and tragedy of the Indian republic and biggest scar on Indian democracy that criminals like the present accused-applicant are the law-makers," the bench opined.The Court was hearing a case in which Ansari is accused of obtaining registration of an ambulance by forging documents and using that vehicle to carry his men with sophisticated arms to escort him from jail to court in order to avoid any untoward incident..As per the allegations in the First Information report (FIR), the ambulance bearing was registered in the Road Transport Office, Barabanki in 2013 under the name of Dr. Alka Rai, resident of Barabanki.Further, in 2021 it came to the notice of authorities that the said ambulance was being run without fitness and insurance as the fitness of the said ambulance got expired in 2017.The FIR was registered against co-accused, Dr. Alka Rai. However, during the course of investigation, it came to light that the real beneficiary and user of the vehicle was Ansari and he had purchased it in the name of Dr. Alka Rai by pressurizing her and making payment to her.Ansari was booked for cheating, forgery, criminal conspiracy, furnishing false information and criminal intimidation under the Indian Penal Code.A photograph was placed on record before the bench, which demonstrated how Ansari had come to a court in Mau in that ambulance accompanied by his men. .The State counsel submitted that the accused-applicant is a known mafia, don and gangster who had been elected five times to the Legislative Assembly of the Uttar Pradesh from Mau constituency and three times while he was in jail. Ansari's name is well known in the crime world and he is the biggest ‘bahubali’ of the State of Uttar Pradesh. Further, he has created an empire in the crime world with the proceeds of crime, he added. "To his credit, there are as many as 56 criminal cases, in which 14 are murder cases under Section 302 along with 364-A and 307 IPC etc. Other cases are also for commission of the serious offences by him. He enjoys the image of Robin-hood and because of his terror, witnesses do not date to depose against him, and if someone dares, he would be finished," submitted the State counsel..Considering the long criminal history of Ansari of most heinous offences and looking at the facts of the case that the ambulance was allegedly being used to carry his men armed with illegal and sophisticated weapons for his protection, the Court found that there was no ground to enlarge him on bail."Considering all these aspects, this Court finds no ground to enlarge the accused-applicant on bail," the Court said rejecting the bail..Ansari was represented by advocate Arun Sinha while State was represented by Advocate VK Shahi.Last month, the High Court had rejected Ansari's bail plea in MLA fund misappropriation case while noting that he is a hardened, habitual offender though he has not been convicted in any case. [Read Order]