Gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari’s bail plea rejected

Mukhtar Ansari, a mafia-turned-politician, was denied bail in connection with a land grab case in 2020 by a local court on Saturday.

Mukhtar Ansari’s participation was evident throughout the inquiry, according to Special Judge Gaurav Kumar of the Prohibition of Corruption Act Court, and the chance that he might influence witnesses during the trial cannot be ruled out.

Surjan Lal, a local area revenue official, filed an FIR in this case at the Hazratganj police station on August 27, 2020. According to the FIR, a plot of land in Jiamau was registered in the name of one Mohammad Waseem, who afterwards moved to Pakistan, and his land was listed as enemy property in the government’s tax records.

The land, however, was reportedly taken by Mukhtar Ansari and his sons, defrauding the government of millions of rupees. Previously, Ansari’s bail application stated that he was innocent and had been accused in the case owing to political rivalry. Mukhtar Ansari has been charged in over 50 cases.