Jailed UP MLA Abbas Ansari's Wife Arrested For Illegally Meeting Him, Prison Staff Suspended

Jailed Uttar Pradesh MLA Abbas Ansari's wife has been arrested for illegally meeting him in Deputy Jailer's chamber.

Police arrested jailed MLA Abbas Ansari's wife for allegedly seeing him in an official's chamber at Ragauli Jail illegally, said a police official on Saturday. According to officials, the prison superintendent and seven other employees were suspended for laxity and departmental action was initiated against them.

Chitrakoot's Superintendent of Police (SP) Vrinda Shukla said that a raid was conducted on Friday, and Nikhat Ansari was discovered in the deputy jailer's chamber having an illegal meeting with her husband Abbas Ansari. The Mau MLA and son of imprisoned former mafia turned politician Mukhtar Ansari, Abbas Ansari, has been jailed for the last three months on charges of money laundering.

Many "objectionable" items were recovered from Nikhat Ansari apart from a mobile phone, said SP. An FIR has been filed against five persons, including jail superintendent Ashok Sagar, the deputy jailor, a constable, Abbas' wife Nikhat, and their driver, based on the complaint of sub-inspector in-charge of Ragauli Jail Police Station Shyamdev Singh.

Several IPC sections have been used to charge them, including 222 (intentional omission to apprehend on the part of a public servant bound to apprehend person under sentence or lawfully committed), 186 (Whoever voluntarily obstructs any public servant in the discharge of his public functions...), 506 (criminal intimidation), 201 (tampering with evidence), and 120B (criminal conspiracy).

Additionally, the police found some Saudi Arabian currency on Ansari's wife.

The SP stated that Nikhat Ansari had been taken into custody and that the accused prison officials are expected to follow suit following an investigation.

Anand Kumar, the director general of Department of Prisons Administration and Reform said, "The jail superintendent, jailor, deputy jailor and five jail warders have been suspended for laxity in discharging duties. Departmental action has also been initiated against them."

Abbas Ansari, 30, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in November of last year following an extended interrogation at the agency's Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh office in connection with the money laundering case, according to officials.

(With inputs from PTI)