Mukhtar Ansari Death: Security Upped Across UP, Family Alleges 'Slow Poisoning'; Post-Mortem Filmed

Jailed gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari's death of a cardiac arrest at a hospital in Uttar Pradesh's Banda on Thursday prompted the authorities to tighten security in some districts and impose prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) across the state.

Mukhtar Ansari (63) was a five-time MLA from Mau Sadar and had been behind bars in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab since 2005. He had over 60 criminal cases pending against him. Mukhtar Ansar was elected as MLA twice as a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate.

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Ansari, who hailed from Mau, was believed to have a strong influence in the adjoining Ghazipur and Varanasi districts as well.

Mukhtar Ansari Death News | Top Updates

-Security Upped Near Mau Mosque Ahead Of Friday Prayers: Security was beefed up outside mosque in Mau, the assembly constituency represented by Mukhtar Ansari in the past, ahead of Friday prayers in view of his death of his demise.

"Today is the Friday Namaz, adequate deployment of police has been made in all the sensitive areas in Mau district. Along with the district police, PAC and CAPF teams have also been deployed. We urge appeal to maintain peace," said Mau Superintendent of Police (SP) Elamaran.

Security was also tightened in Ghazipur, where Ansari's residence is, in view of Jumma Namaz. Ghazipur DM Aryaka Akhoury said, "All arrangements have been made, force deployment and magistrate deployment have been done. Everyone is on duty. There is Jumma Nawaz as well, we have to ensure that it can be done in a peaceful atmosphere. We will make everyone follow MCC and preparations are in place for the same..."

-Security Upped In Uttar Pradesh: Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), which bars large gatherings, were imposed across the state and additional security personnel deployed in the Banda, Mau, Ghazipur and Varanasi districts after the death of jailed gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari on Thursday.

Mukhtar Ansari was brought to the Rani Durgavati Medical College in Banda from the district jail in "an unconscious state" and, according to its principal Suneel Kaushal, he died at the hospital following cardiac arrest.

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Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police Prashant Kumar said teams of the Central Reserve Police Force along with the local police deployed in Banda, Mau, Ghazipur (where Ansari's residence is) and Varanasi.

Security forces were seen conduction flag marches in Aligarh, Varanasi, Firozabad, Kasganj and some other areas.

The social media cell of the Uttar Pradesh Police has also been activated to keep a close watch on unlawful elements online, the police chief was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

-Mukhtar Ansari's Family Alleges 'Slow Poisoning' In Jail: Mukhtar Ansari's brother and Ghazipur MP Afzal Ansari had on Tuesday alleged that he was being subjected to "slow poisoning" in jail, a charge denied by the authorities.

Mukhtar Ansari's son Umar Ansari also said that his father had alleged being given a slow poison. "Post-mortem will be conducted tomorrow, after that they will give us the body. We will then follow with the further process [cremation[... My father alleged being given a slow poison... Around five doctors panel has been made [for carrying out the post-mortem]," he said.

"I was not told anything from the administration side, I came to know about it through the media... But now the whole nation knows everything... Two days ago I came to meet him, but I was not allowed... We said earlier also and even today we will say the same about the allegation of giving slow poison. On March 19, he was poisoned in the dinner. We will move to the judiciary, we have full faith in it...," Umar Ansari said.

-Post-Mortem Videotaped: A panel of doctors performed the postmortem of Mukhtar Ansari on Friday, Principal of the Banda Medical College Hospital Suneel Kaushal said, adding that the process was videotaped.

The viscera will be preserved, Kaushal said.

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Senior officials, including District Magistrate Durga Shakti Nagpal, Superintendent of Police Ankur Agarwal and a large number of security personnel were present at the hospital. Paramilitary forces and central forces were deployed as a precautionary measure outside the medical college, officials said.

Meanwhile, a three-member team will be conduct a magisterial investigation of the death of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, news agency ANI reported.

Mukhtar Ansari's body will be handed over to his son Umar Ansari after the post-mortem. Mukhtar Ansar's funeral will take place at the Kali Bagh graveyard in Ghazipur.

-How Did Mukhtar Ansari Die? Mukhtar Ansari was hospitalised for around 14 hours on Tuesday after he complained of abdominal pain and was later discharged. Mukhtar Ansari's condition deteriorated on Thursday evening after which he was rushed to a hospital in Banda .

Mukhtar Ansari was sentenced in connection with eight cases since September 2022 by different courts in Uttar Pradesh and was lodged in the Banda jail. His name was on the list of 66 gangsters issued by Uttar Pradesh Police last year.

According to a medical bulletin, Ansari was brought to the medical college in Banda around 8.25 pm on Thursday in an unconscious state after he had complained of vomiting. A team of nine doctors attended to him but he died of cardiac arrest, it stated.