Uttar Pradesh Police brings gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari to Banda jail

Uttar Pradesh Police on Wednesday morning brought to Banda prison gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, who had spent over two years in Punjab prison.

Uttar Pradesh Police had on yesterday taken custody of the BSP legislator from Punjab's Rupnagar jail acting on a March 26 Supreme Court of India order, which directed Ansari's transfer to the Uttar Pradesh prison to face trials.

On Tuesday, fearing for her husband's life, Ansari's wife, Afshan Ansari approached the top court seeking a direction to the UP Police to "not kill" her husband in a fake encounter and allow him to face a "free and fair trial."

According to UP Police, around 52 cases are registered against Ansari in Uttar Pradesh and other states.

Earlier in February, the UP government accused the Punjab government in the Supreme Court, alleging that the latter (Punjab) was colluding with Ansari who is wanted in UP in relation to various criminal cases.

On his part, Ansari has apprehended a threat to his life in Uttar Pradesh and sought to appear in cases through video conferencing only.

The Uttar Pradesh government had argued that Ansari is being "vociferously defended by the state of Punjab" and that he is enjoying in the Punjab jail.

The top court had dismissed the plea of Ansari seeking transfer of cases pending against him in Uttar Pradesh to Delhi.

Ansari, the MLA from Mau, has been lodged in a Ropar jail in Punjab since January 2019 where he was named in an extortion case.

Several production warrants were issued against Ansari but Punjab Police did not allow him to be shifted to Uttar Pradesh on the grounds of ill health.

( With inputs from ANI )