Table of Contents
A former gangster and Indian lawmaker, Mukhtar Ansari age 63, passed away from a cardiac arrest in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh on Thursday.
Before he entered politics, Ansari, once a prominent gangster leader, had been incarcerated since 2005.
Join our Telegram Channel for Updates
Nevertheless, his family has raised concerns about the circumstances surrounding his demise, alleging that he was administered a “poisonous substance” while in prison.
According to BBC reports, the police heightened security measures in the state as crowds gathered outside Ansari’s residence upon hearing the news of his demise.
Ansari, who led his gang during the 1990s, was implicated in over 60 criminal cases, including 15 murder charges.
Transitioning to politics, Ansari clinched his first state election victory in 1996 in his native constituency of Mau, retaining his position as a lawmaker from the seat until 2022.
In April 2023, he was convicted for the murder of Krishnanand Rai, a legislator from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and was sentenced to 10 years behind bars.
Earlier this month, he was handed a life sentence for his involvement in a 1990 case related to counterfeit arms licenses.
On Thursday, prison authorities in Banda district reported that Mukhtar Ansari was admitted to the hospital after experiencing vomiting.
“A team of nine doctors provided immediate medical assistance to the patient,” stated a medical bulletin from the Rani Durgavati Medical College. “However, despite their efforts, he succumbed to cardiac arrest.”
Ansari’s brother, Afzal Ansari, a Member of Parliament from the state, alleged that his brother had been poisoned.
“Mukhtar claimed that he was given a poisonous substance in his food while in jail,” Ansari informed reporters on Thursday. “This is the second instance of such poisoning. Approximately 40 days ago, he was similarly poisoned. Recently, on March 19 and March 22, he experienced another poisoning incident, leading to his deteriorating health.”
Mukhtar Ansari had been hospitalized on Tuesday following a fall in the restroom, according to prison authorities.
He was initially treated within the prison premises and later transferred to the hospital for further medical attention, where he was discharged after 14 hours, as stated in an official statement.
Following the announcement of Ansari’s passing, Uttar Pradesh police imposed curfew orders in the state and conducted flag marches in certain areas.
Ansari’s son, Umar Ansari, revealed that he learned about his father’s declining health from media reports and had not received any information from authorities before his demise.
“Two days ago, I attempted to visit him, but I was denied access,” he remarked.
Ansari’s post-mortem examination is scheduled for Friday.
