Mayawati Demands High-Level Inquiry Into Death of Gangster-Turned-Politician Mukhtar Ansari

BSP chief Mayawati has called for a high-level inquiry into the death of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, stressing the importance of revealing the truth surrounding the case to the public.

63-year-old Mukhtar Ansari passed away due to cardiac arrest at a hospital located in Banda district of Uttar Pradesh on Thursday.

In a post on X, the BSP president said The persistent apprehensions and serious allegations made by Mukhtar Anasari's family regarding his death in jail require a high -level investigation so that the true facts of his death can be revealed.

मुख़्तार अंसारी की जेल में हुई मौत को लेकर उनके परिवार द्वारा जो लगातार आशंकायें व गंभीर आरोप लगाए गए हैं उनकी उच्च-स्तरीय जाँच जरूरी, ताकि उनकी मौत के सही तथ्य सामने आ सकें। ऐसे में उनके परिवार का दुःखी होना स्वाभाविक। कुदरत उन्हें इस दुःख को सहन करने की शक्ति दे।

— Mayawati (@Mayawati) March 29, 2024

Chandra Shekhar Aazad, the founder of Bhim Army and president of Aazad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram), has urged for a CBI inquiry into the demise of Ansari. The untimely demise of former MLA Mukhtar Ansari is very sad. I pay my humble tribute. My condolences to his family and supporters, may nature give them the strength to bear this immense loss, Aazad posted on X in Hindi.

Aazad's party is gearing up for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Mukhtar Ansari, aged 63, was transported from the district jail to the Rani Durgavati Medical College in Banda in an unconscious state on Thursday evening, where he subsequently passed away due to cardiac arrest, as confirmed by the hospital's principal, Suneel Kaushal. Ansari's family has raised allegations of him being subjected to slow poisoning while in jail, although authorities have refuted these claims.

Ansari was a five-time MLA from Mau Sadar. He had been behind bars in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab since 2005. He had over 60 criminal cases pending against him. He was sentenced in eight cases since September 2022 by different courts in Uttar Pradesh and was lodged in the Banda jail. His name was on the list of 66 gangsters issued by Uttar Pradesh Police last year.