The security in Uttar Pradeh's Ghazipur has been heightened ahead of the verdict in a kidnapping and murder case against gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari and his elder brother and BSP MLA from the city Afzal Ansari. A special MP-MLA court will pronounce the verdict on Saturday. Both Mukhtar Ansari and his brother Afzal Ansari are accused in 2005 Krishnanad Rai kidnapping and murder case.
The Allahabad High Court in March this year had denied bail to a member of the Mukhtar Ansari gang in a 2010 murder case in Mau district in which the jailed gangster-turned-politician is also an accused.
The court said Ansari's gang is the "most dreaded criminal gang of India" and it is possible that the accused, Ramu Mallah, could influence witnesses and their deposition in the case if allowed to come out of jail.
Mallah, who is being tried in several other cases, had moved the bail application under Section 439 of the CrPC, which empowers the court to grant bail and also impose conditions on the accused if necessary.
Opposing the bail application, the government counsel Ratnendu Kumar Singh said the accused could influence witnesses and secure acquittal in the present case. To this, the court agreed. "Merely since the accused has been acquitted as the witnesses have turned hostile in some (other) cases, his criminal history does not get evaporated,” Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh observed in his order on March 1.
The Uttar Pradesh government earlier bulldozed two houses belonging to alleged associates Rafiqusmad and Iftikar of the gangster-turned-politician in Banda district. The authorities demolished the houses in March, claiming they were built illegally, reported PTI. The officials said the aides used to give Ansari logistical and other such support.
Additional Director General (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar told PTI, “Illegally constructed houses of Rafiqusmad and Iftikar have been razed in Banda district. The duo used to provide logistic and other support to Ansari.”
Kumar revealed the police recovered double-barrel guns and cartridges from the residences. Cash worth Rs 7 lakh was also recovered from Rafiqusmad's house.
Rafiqusmad's house near Rafiq nursing home in Aliganj area and Iftikar's house at Zila Parishad crossing were demolished as maps for the same were not approved.
The court said if such as criminal is allowed to come out of jail, he would certainly be in a position to influence the witnesses and free and truthful deposition of the witnesses would be impossible.